Amnesty International: Israel must end its brutal occupation of Palestine

Amnesty International on Monday called on Israel to end its "brutal" occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which it has maintained since 1967.

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Public hearings began today in The Hague between February 19 and 26, after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022 to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legality of Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories and the consequences of Israel’s behavior on other countries and the United Nations. .

More than 50 countries, the African Union, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are scheduled to participate in these measures.

“The world must realize that ending Israel’s illegal occupation is a precondition for stopping repeated human rights violations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories,” said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Callamard emphasized that "the Israeli occupation of Palestine is the longest military occupation and one of the most deadly military occupations in the world. Over the decades, this occupation has been characterized by systematic and widespread violations of the rights of Palestinians. This occupation has also enabled and entrenched the Israeli apartheid system imposed on the Palestinians."

Stressing that "over the years, the Israeli military occupation has developed into a permanent occupation in flagrant violation of international law."

The Secretary-General of the International Organization stressed that “the current raging conflict in the occupied Gaza Strip, where the International Court of Justice ruled that there is a real and imminent risk of genocide, has sharply highlighted the disastrous consequences of allowing Israel’s international crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories to continue with impunity for so long.” .

She added: "The world must realize that ending the illegal Israeli occupation is a precondition for stopping the repeated human rights violations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories."

The organization noted that under international humanitarian law, the occupation of a territory during a period of conflict is supposed to be temporary. The occupying power must administer the land for the benefit of the local population of the occupied territory and preserve as much as possible the status quo ante of occupation, including by respecting existing laws and refraining from introducing demographic changes and tampering with the territorial integrity of the occupied territory.

Emphasizing that “the Israeli occupation has not been consistent with these basic principles of international humanitarian law, given that the Israeli occupation has been prolonged, extending for more than half a century, coupled with the authorities’ illegal official annexation of occupied East Jerusalem and the actual annexation of vast areas of the West Bank through land confiscation and settlement expansion,” All of these factors clearly indicate that Israel’s intention is for the occupation to be permanent and for the benefit of the occupying authority and its citizens.”

She stressed that "the Gaza Strip remains occupied even after the withdrawal of Israeli forces from it and the evacuation of settlers in 2005, as Israel maintains effective control over the Strip and its residents, including through its control over its borders, territorial waters, airspace, and the population registry of its citizens."

She added: “For 16 years, the manifestations of the occupation in Gaza have been manifested through the illegal Israeli blockade that severely restricts the movement of people and goods and destroys Gaza’s economy, and through repeated rounds of hostilities that have killed and injured thousands of civilians and destroyed a large portion of Gaza’s infrastructure and housing.” .

Agnes Callamard continued, saying: “All countries must review their relations with Israel to ensure that they do not contribute to the perpetuation of the occupation or the apartheid system. As European foreign ministers meet in Brussels today, the need to issue a clear and united call to end the Israeli occupation is more urgent today than ever before.” ".

She stressed that "for 56 years, Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories have been living under siege and oppression under the brutal Israeli occupation, and are subjected to systematic discrimination."

The European Union announced the launch of a military mission with the aim of "restoring and protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf," while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the launch of the mission, noting that it is a "step" to protect European interests.

The European Union confirmed, on Monday, the launch of operations of a European naval mission called "ASPEDS" to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea from attacks by the Yemeni "Houthi" group.

The European Union Council stated in a statement that Aspids' defensive maritime security operations were launched today with the aim of "restoring and protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf."

The statement pointed out that the operations include the Straits of Bab al-Mandab and Hormuz and the international waters of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf.

He revealed that the operations "ensure a European Union naval presence in the region where Houthi attacks have targeted international commercial ships since October 2023."

For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the launch of the naval mission.

“I welcome today’s decision to launch Operation Aspids for the European Union naval forces,” von der Leyen said on the X platform.

She added, "Europe will guarantee freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, in cooperation with our international partners."

The President of the European Commission indicated that Operation Aspids is "a step towards a stronger European presence in maritime waters to protect our European interests."

In "solidarity with Gaza," which is facing a devastating Israeli war with American support, the Houthis, with missiles and drones, targeted Israeli or related cargo ships in the Red Sea, determined to continue their operations until the end of the war on the Strip.​​​​​​