UN told Israeli acts not ‘proportionate’
Attorney General on response to Hamas as deaths soar
ISRAEL’S response to Hamas’ October 7 attack is beyond what is “necessary and proportionate”, Ireland has told the UN.
The International Court of Justice also heard claims Israel is annexing Palestinian territory and has prevented its people from exercising their rights to self-determination.
Ireland was contributing to a hearing at the ICJ on request for an advisory opinion on the case of Israel’s policies and practices in Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
Speaking in The Hague, Irish Attorney General Rossa Fanning first said our Government had “profound concern” about background to the hearing.
He said the Hamas attacks were “reprehensible”, adding: “We have condemned them unequivocally, the rape and murder of civilians, destruction of civilian property, the taking of hostages, the use of human shields and the firing of indiscriminate rockets at urban centres constitutes serious violations of international humanitarian law for which those involved must be held accountable.”
However, Mr Fanning said international law limits the use of force in self-defence to “no more than what is necessary and proportionate”.
He added: “Ireland’s view is that these limits have been exceeded by Israel in its military response to the Hamas attack.
“This is manifest from the spiralling death toll, the extensive destruction of property including homes throughout Gaza, the displacement of up to two million people and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe.” Mr Fanning noted that
VIEWS Rossa Fanning
Ireland has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, adding it supports a comprehensive two-state solution.
Additionally, the Attorney General said Israel is annexing Palestinian territory in the West Bank.
He added: “In Ireland’s view, Israel is already engaged in the process of annexing Palestinian territory.
“It is doing so de facto through its policy of encouraging demographic change in that territory by population transfer, and by the continuous development and maintenance of permanent settlements and infrastructure.”
Mr Fanning said Israeli settlers had continued to unlawfully destroy and appropriate property throughout the OPT, and Israel had a policy of encouraging and facilitating the expansion of settlements.