News Center- A coalition of humanitarian, development and human rights organizations urged all states, including UN Security Council members, to adhere to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which suggests states halt the transfer and sale of weapons and ammunition to Israel.

In a joint statement, 34 human rights and aid organizations highlighted the humanitarian consequences of Israel’s occupation, the humanitarian consequences of Israel’s occupation, and its devastating impact on the Palestinian population, including the well-being of children, including;

 ·     the use of weapons, by Israeli forces and settlers in attacks, including in apparent violations of international law, resulting in the killing and permanent disabilities of Palestinian civilians, including children, and instances of gender based violence;

·   the arbitrary detention and systematic prosecution of Palestinians, including children, in Israeli military courts, often held in horrific conditions;

·    the forced displacement of Palestinians through demolitions of Palestinian homes and property, Israeli settlement expansion, Israeli settler violence, and so-called “evacuation” orders amid Israeli bombardment in Gaza;

·   a discriminatory permit regime that denies freedom of movement to Palestinians, depriving them of basic services, including vital medical assistance.

“These practices have taken place without accountability for decades, but the intensification over the last 11 months has led to a staggering humanitarian catastrophe for Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, fuelled by the virtually unconditional supply of weapons, parts, and ammunition,” the statement said, adding:

“More than 40,000 people in Gaza have been killed, and tens of thousands face life-altering injuries and potentially irreversible mental harm, including as a result of apparent violations of IHL. Meanwhile, the situation in the West Bank is deteriorating at a rapid pace, with large-scale Israeli military ground incursions and airstrikes killing and injuring people almost every day this year. The violence and restrictions under Israeli occupation have rendered the mandates of humanitarian, human rights, and development organizations almost impossible to fulfill.”

The organizations urged all governments, including UN Security Council members, to adhere to the ICJ’s advisory opinion, which suggests states halt the transfer and sale of weapons and ammunition to Israel, stressing that failure to adhere to the opinion would undermine international law and institutions.