The brutal acts of violence that Israel carried out in Palestine, regardless of hospitals, educational institutions, and places of worship on October 7, 2023, and its criminal attacks against humanity launched against Palestinians, continue. Heavy attacks and disproportionate use of force in Gaza have led to a serious humanitarian crisis in the region and the civilian population, which must be protected from the destructive effects of conflicts in accordance with international humanitarian law, has remained at the center of these attacks. Thousands of people, especially women, elderly and children, lost their lives; tens of thousands were injured and more than a million people were displaced.

It was decided by the International Court of Justice with the decision numbered A/RES/77/247, adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 30 December 2022, to request an advisory opinion on “Legal Consequences Arising from Israel's Policies and Practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem”. In this context, an advisory opinion was requested from the International Court of Justice regarding “what are the legal consequences of Israel's continued annexation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, the Palestinian territories it has occupied since 1967, including measures to change the demographic structure, character and status of the holy city of Jerusalem, and Israel's adoption of relevant discriminatory laws and measures” and “the impact of Israel's relevant policies and practices on the legal status of the occupation, and what its legal consequences are for all states and the UN”.

The International Court of Justice, the judicial body of the UN, on July 19, 2024, declared its advisory opinion on Israel's occupation of Palestine, annexation practices in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, efforts to change the status of East Jerusalem, the unlawfulness of discriminatory practices and the consequences of these. The International Court of Justice declared that Israel's presence in Palestinian territory is against the law, that this illegal action should be stopped as soon as possible, and that the damage caused to all natural persons and legal entities in Palestinian territory should be compensated. In addition, all states are legally obliged not to recognize the situation resulting from Israel's illegal presence in Palestinian territory and not to aid and support the maintenance of this situation. International organizations, including the UN, similarly have a legal obligation not to recognize the situation resulting from Israel's illegal presence in Palestinian territory. In the opinion, it was emphasized that there is an urgent need to put an end to this conflict, which continues to pose a threat to international peace and security, and thus for the UN to redouble its efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in the region. In its justification of opinion that Israel is unfair, the Court stated that Israel's policies and practices violate international law and that the continuation of these policies and practices constitutes a tort.

This decision of the Court is important in terms of announcing Israel's occupying policies to the whole world and placing responsibility on states and actors of the international community. As Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, we welcome this decision which will make it possible to achieve permanent peace by securing human rights and freedoms in Palestine. We once again condemn the systematic and widespread attacks carried out by Israel against the civilian population in Gaza, which constitute a war crime within the scope of the Rome Statute, and we invite all actors of the international community to assume a more effective role against the ongoing violations of rights in the Palestinian territories.

Respectfully announced to the public.