– The international community cannot accept that the UN, international humanitarian organizations and states face systematic obstacles to being able to work in Palestine and provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians under occupation, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap).
– It undermines the Palestinians’ right to vital aid. Then we have to react. We therefore ask that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) determine what obligations Israel has to facilitate organizations, including the UN, and countries, to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population, he says.
Asking for ICJ review
Norway is now taking the initiative for a resolution in the UN General Assembly that asks the UN’s highest legal body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to give an advisory statement on what duties Israel as an occupying power has to facilitate aid to the Palestinian population.
– We want a legal clarification of Israel’s duty to facilitate humanitarian aid for people staying in the occupied areas of Gaza and the West Bank, says Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) to VG.
According to the government, a number of countries have expressed support for the initiative, in addition to the United Nations Organization for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Controversial ban
The Israeli national assembly Knesset decided on Monday with an overwhelming majority to ban UNRWA from operating in Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories.
The ban was passed despite strong international protests, including from several of Israel’s leading allies such as the United States, Germany and Great Britain.
Dramatic consequences
– The Israeli government makes it difficult for the Palestinians to get vital help and basic services, such as health care and school. The Knesset’s decision, which in practice makes it impossible for UNRWA to work in Palestine, is a decision that will affect civilian Palestinians who live in deep need, says Eide.
– The decision could have dramatic consequences for millions of civilians, and it will make the entire Middle East even more unstable. We believe this violates Israel’s obligations under international law. It also undermines the work for a viable Palestinian state and a two-state solution, he says.
Israel has a duty
According to international law, Israel has an obligation to help the Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories. This was confirmed by the ICJ in a statement on 19 July.
The Court then stated that “Israel is obliged to administer the occupied territory in a way that is in the best interest of the local population”. – With this initiative, Norway wants to establish that no country can rise above its obligations under international law. We see similar trends in other countries – that leaders try to undermine humanitarian law and aid work in situations of crisis and conflict. We must stop this development, says Eide.
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