Ankara on Wednesday will make a presentation on Israel’s attacks on Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as part of the advisory opinion and press for accountability while underlining the need for the continuation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees operations.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz will deliver an oral statement at the ICJ on Israel's responsibilities toward the U.N., international organizations and third countries in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Yılmaz is accompanied by the Parliament Justice Committee. Its chair, Cüneyt Yüksel, last week emphasized that, “The role of the International Court of Justice in this process is of great importance not only from a legal perspective but also from a humanitarian perspective.”
“To eliminate the perception of impunity and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable before justice, as a continuation of our ongoing genocide case and intervention process at the International Court of Justice, our active stance is presenting evidence and preparing files against the perpetrators in the International Criminal Court process,” he added.
U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution on Dec. 19, 2024, asking the ICJ to provide an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. The resolution focuses on Israel's obligations under international law. A total of 52 countries, including Türkiye, co-sponsored the resolution.
Following the resolution, the ICJ invited the U.N., its member states and the State of Palestine (which holds observer status) to submit written and oral statements.
Türkiye submitted its written statement on Feb. 27. In total, 45 countries and international organizations have sent written submissions.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (IOC), the Arab League and the African Union were also allowed to join the case after submitting formal requests.
The ICJ has scheduled oral hearings from April 28 to May 2.
During the hearings, 44 countries and organizations are expected to deliver oral statements.
Türkiye's statement will be presented by Yılmaz at 4 p.m. local time (1 p.m. GMT).
NATO member Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but the more brutal the Israeli attacks became, the harsher Ankara has made its criticism in the past year. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the world court, which Israel rejects.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Several countries had already given their presentations as of Monday, criticizing Israel’s continuing crimes.
The Palestinian envoy to the ICJ accused Israel on Monday of deliberately targeting humanitarian groups and carrying out a "genocidal campaign" against Palestinians in Gaza.
Ammar Hijazi, the state of Palestine's ambassador to international organizations in the Netherlands, said Israeli forces had killed over 408 U.N. workers, including almost 300 staff of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), as well as dozens of paramedics and first responders.
"These killings are deliberate, not accidental," he told public hearings on Israel's obligations in the occupied Palestinian territory, citing attacks in which Israeli forces ambushed and killed humanitarian workers before burying them in mass graves.
Egypt similarly told the ICJ on Monday that Israel remains bound by its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law as long as its occupation of Palestinian territories continues. Egypt's Assistant Foreign Minister Hatem Kamaleldin Abdelkader accused Israel of imposing a "brutal siege" on civilians, calling it "the most recent chapter in Israel's systematic weaponization of humanitarian assistance.”
Moreover, Saudi Arabia told the top U.N. court that Israel ignored the ICJ's provisional orders and “exacerbated” the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has turned into an “unlivable pile of rubble.”
