Alþjóðadómstóll Sameinuðu þjóðanna (ICJ) lýsti því yfir þann 19. júlí 2024 að áframhaldandi viðvera Ísraels á hernumdum palestínskum svæðum væri ólögleg og að „öll ríki væru skyldug til að viðurkenna ekki“ áratugalangt hernám þeirra. Dómstóllinn fyrirskipaði Ísrael að binda enda á hernámið „eins fljótt og auðið er“, fjarlægja landnemabyggðir sínar, veita palestínskum fórnarlömbum fullar bætur og auðvelda heimkomu flóttamanna.
Dómstóllinn bendir einnig á að ríki eru skyldug til að „veita ekki aðstoð eða aðstoða við að viðhalda þeirri stöðu sem skapast hefur vegna áframhaldandi viðveru Ísraelsríkis á hernumdum palestínskum svæðum“.
Alþjóðadómstóllinn benti enn fremur á að Sameinuðu þjóðirnar, og sérstaklega Allsherjarþingið og Öryggisráðið, „ættu að íhuga nákvæmar aðferðir og frekari aðgerðir sem þarf til að binda enda á, eins fljótt og auðið er, ólöglega viðveru Ísraelsríkis á hernumdum palestínskum svæðum.“
Ofangreint er stuttur úrdráttur (lausleg þýðing) úr fréttatilkynningu Sameinuðu þjóðanna um ráðgefandi álit Alþjóðadómstólsins.
Ítarleg grein Þórdísar Ingadóttur, prófessors hjá HR, um ofangreint málefni.
„Hernámið er lykilþáttur í kerfi aðskilnaðarstefnu sem Ísrael notar til að drottna yfir og kúga Palestínumenn og hefur valdið þjáningum í stórum stíl. Palestínumenn hafa orðið vitni að því að heimili þeirra eru rifin, lönd þeirra tekin eignarnámi til að byggja og stækka landnemabyggðir og hafa staðið frammi fyrir kæfandi takmörkunum sem raska öllum þáttum daglegs lífs þeirra, allt frá aðskilnaði fjölskyldna og takmörkunum á ferðafrelsi til synjunar á aðgangi að landi, vatni og náttúruauðlindum.“
Úr fréttatilkynnigu Amnesty International um álit Alþjóðadómstólsins á hernáminu. (lausleg þýðing)
Úrdráttur úr ráðgefandi áliti Alþjóðadómstólsins varðandi Ísrael og hernám þeirra í Palestínu:
267. With regard to the Court’s finding that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal, the Court considers that such presence constitutes a wrongful act entailing its international responsibility. It is a wrongful act of a continuing character which has been brought about by Israel’s violations, through its policies and practices, of the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force and the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. Consequently, Israel has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible. ….
268. The Court further observes that, with respect to the policies and practices of Israel referred to in question (a) which were found to be unlawful, Israel has an obligation to put an end to those unlawful acts. In this respect, Israel must immediately cease all new settlement activity. Israel also has an obligation to repeal all legislation and measures creating or maintaining the unlawful situation, including those which discriminate against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as all measures aimed at modifying the demographic composition of any parts of the territory.
269. Israel is also under an obligation to provide full reparation for the damage caused by its internationally wrongful acts to all natural or legal persons concerned (see Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2004 (I), p. 198, para. 152). The Court recalls that the essential principle is that “reparation must, as far as possible, wipe out all the consequences of the illegal act and reestablish the situation which would, in all probability, have existed if that act had not been committed” (Factory at Chorzów, Merits, Judgment No. 13, 1928, P.C.I.J., Series A, No. 17, p. 47). Reparation includes restitution, compensation and/or satisfaction.
270. Restitution includes Israel’s obligation to return the land and other immovable property, as well as all assets seized from any natural or legal person since its occupation started in 1967, and all cultural property and assets taken from Palestinians and Palestinian institutions, including archives and documents. It also requires the evacuation of all settlers from existing settlements and the dismantling of the parts of the wall constructed by Israel that are situated in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as allowing all Palestinians displaced during the occupation to return to their original place of residence.
271. In the event that such restitution should prove to be materially impossible, Israel has an obligation to compensate, in accordance with the applicable rules of international law, all natural or legal persons, and populations, where that may be the case, having suffered any form of material damage as a result of Israel’s wrongful acts under the occupation.
272. The Court emphasizes that the obligations flowing from Israel’s internationally wrongful acts do not release it from its continuing duty to perform the international obligations which its conduct is in breach of. Specifically, Israel remains bound to comply with its obligation to respect the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law (see Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2004 (I), p. 197, para. 149).