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Israel must withdraw without preconditions, Retno insists
During a hearing at The Hague in the Netherlands, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi called on the world court to declare Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal, urging Tel Aviv to withdraw its military from the enclaves without any preconditions or negotiations.
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) holds a hearing on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories in The Hague on Feb. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Piroschka van de Wouw)
I
srael’s occupation of Palestinian territory must be declared illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with Tel Aviv obliged to make reparations to the Palestinian people, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi asserted in her oral statement to the court on Friday.
The court must abide by its mandate of holding states accountable for their actions and allow no space for Israel to negotiate its position since it has fully abandoned any international efforts at a peaceful resolution, Indonesia’s top diplomat added in the hearing at The Hague, the Netherlands.
“Negotiation with someone holding a gun against your head is not negotiation at all,” Retno said. “With the continued presence of Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza, it is impossible to see Israel complying with its obligations.”
“[An] Israeli withdrawal should never require pre-conditions, or be subject to any negotiations,” she continued.
Wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, Retno took the floor at the ICJ on Friday for 22 minutes, where she urged the world court to issue an advisory opinion that would state that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal, preventing Tel Aviv from being able to profit through its actions.
The week-long hearing follows a request made at the United Nations General Assembly in late 2022 for the court’s opinion on the legal consequences of Israeli policies and practices in Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. Over 50 countries are presenting their oral statements on the matter from Feb. 19 to 26.
Israel, the primary subject of the hearing, has declined to participate in the process, having labeled it “despicable and disgraceful”.
