U.S. Defends Israel at UN Court Hearing on Occupation: Live Updates

The courtroom is listening to six days of arguments over the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian-majority territories, together with the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem, which has been the topic of years of debates and resolutions on the United Nations. The hearings — involving greater than 50 international locations, a degree of participation by no means earlier than seen on the courtroom — have been known as lengthy earlier than Israel went to warfare towards Hamas in Gaza, however have turn out to be a part of a concerted international effort to cease the battle and study the legality of Israel’s insurance policies towards the Palestinians.

Israel has stated it might not take part within the hearings, and despatched a letter to the courtroom final yr arguing that the main focus of the proceedings did not “acknowledge Israel’s proper and responsibility to guard its residents” or its proper to safety.

America has strongly defended Israel throughout the warfare, together with on Tuesday, when it cast the lone veto towards a U.N. Safety Council decision that known as for a right away cease-fire, saying it might disrupt efforts to free hostages held in Gaza.

On Wednesday, Mr. Visek requested the courtroom to uphold the “established framework” for a two-state answer that he stated U.N. our bodies have agreed to — one that’s contingent on a “broader finish to belligerence” towards Israel — quite than heed calls by different nations for Israel’s “unilateral and unconditional withdrawal” from occupied territories.

The Oct. 7 Hamas-led assaults on Israel have been a reminder of the safety threats the nation face, Mr. Visek stated, “they usually persist.”

The courtroom, which usually hears staid disputes amongst nations, has these days turn out to be a venue for international locations to oppose Israel. Final month, South Africa argued on the courtroom that Israel was committing genocide towards Palestinians in Gaza — a cost strongly rejected by Israel. The judges haven’t dominated on that declare, however issued an interim order for Israel to take steps to prevent genocide in Gaza, giving it till subsequent week to report again on how it’s doing so.

On Tuesday, South Africa forcefully condemned Israel’s insurance policies towards Palestinians, calling them “a extra excessive type of apartheid,” the race-based system of legal guidelines that disadvantaged Black South Africans for many years. Palestinians “proceed to be subjected to discriminating land zoning and planning insurance policies, to punitive home demolitions and violent incursions into their villages, cities and cities,” South Africa’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusi Madonsela, instructed the courtroom.

Israel has lengthy rejected accusations that it operates an apartheid system, calling such allegations a slur and pointing to what it says is a historical past of being singled out for condemnation by U.N. our bodies and tribunals.

America has remained Israel’s staunchest defender internationally. However the Biden administration, below rising strain from components of the Democratic Get together, has additionally proven indicators of impatience with Israel’s conduct of the warfare, the rising toll in Gaza and the plight of Palestinians below Israeli occupation. Gazan well being officers say that greater than 29,000 folks have been killed in Israel’s airstrikes and floor invasion of Gaza, making it by far the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian battle since Israel’s founding in 1945.

President Biden this month stated that Israel’s navy response in Gaza — which started after Hamas’s Oct. 7 assaults killed 1,200 folks, Israeli officers say — had been “over the top” and that the immense civilian struggling had “obtained to cease.” The remarks got here days after Mr. Biden imposed broad financial sanctions against four Israeli men over violent assaults towards Palestinians within the West Financial institution.

After the hearings, that are scheduled to conclude on Monday, the courtroom will give an advisory opinion, a call that’s anticipated to take a number of months. The opinion might be nonbinding.

Cassandra Vinograd contributed reporting.