(AR/EN) Palestine & Arab Group on Civilian & UN personnel protection, ICJ measures | United Nations

Comments to the media by Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine and the Arab Group, on Civilian and UN personnel protection, and ICJ provisional measures, and other topics.

Addressing the press today (24 May) on behalf of the Arab group, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad H. Mansour said, “We expect that resolutions of the ICJ to be implemented without hesitation; that’s mandatory.”

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza and to open the governate’s border crossing for urgent aid deliveries.
 
Mansour said, “We are grateful for South Africa and those who supported them for going back to the ICJ asking them for additional provisional measures. And we welcome these provisional measures, including stopping, you know, the military operation in Rafah. And we believe that the provisional measures of the ICJ also previously asked for stopping all military operations in the Gaza Strip and stopping these crimes and potential crimes of genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip.”

He also said, “We will make everything possible in our capacity as a group with other groups the OIC, NAM, African group, and others, to see the implementation of resolutions of the Security Council, the General Assembly, and ICJ that calls among other things for an immediate ceasefire to take place to save lives, and to allow our people to start attending to the wounds inflicted upon them by this aggression of Israel, particularly in the Gaza Strip.”

Answering a question, he said, “We expect that resolutions of the ICJ to be implemented without hesitation; that’s mandatory. And Israel is, as I said, part of the Convention. And the Convention is crystal clear on this issue. So, Israel has to obey by the decisions and the demands from ICJ.”

Mansour also welcomed the UN Security Council’s resolution on protection of civilians in armed conflict adopted today with 14 votes in favour, none against, and 1 abstention (Russian Federation).

He said, “That resolution is tailored to Gaza without necessarily mentioning Gaza by name, with regard to the protection of civilians, with regard to the protection of international personnel, including UN personnel and specifically UNRWA personnel, condemning the killing of hundreds of international personnel in the human field, condemning incitement by Israeli officials and killing large number of our people in essence, the genocide against our people and calling for opening of crossings providing humanitarian assistance to scale and the accountability of those responsible for these crimes to face the justice that they should face.”