At ICJ hearing, Russia blames Israel, US, allies for ongoing Gaza conflict

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Russia on Wednesday blamed Israel, the US and its allies for the ongoing Gaza conflict.

“We are convinced the tragic events of the 7th of October cannot justify the collective punishment of more than 2 million Gazans. We cannot accept the logic of those officials in Israel and some Western countries who try to defend the indiscriminate violence against civilians by referring to Israel’s duty to protect its nationals,” Vladimir Tarabrin, the Russian envoy to the Netherlands, said at a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

“Violence can only lead to more violence. Hatred brings hatred. This vicious circle must be broken,” Tarabrin added.

“The continued Israeli occupation of Palestine impedes the realization of the Palestinian people of its right of self-determination,” he said.

“A negotiated two-state solution with an independent and viable Palestinian state peacefully coexisting with Israel will be the best recipe for bringing an end to Israel’s violations, creating guarantees of their non-repetition and redressing the damage,” Tarabrin added.

Public hearings started Monday in The Hague following the UN General Assembly's request for an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

South Africa brought a genocide case against Israel to the ICJ in late December and asked it for emergency measures to end Palestinian bloodshed in Gaza, where more than 29,300 people have been killed since Oct. 7.

The world court in January ordered Israel to take "all measures within its power" to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza but fell short of ordering a cease-fire.

It also ordered Israel to take "immediate and effective" measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip.

A cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 killed an estimated 1,200 people, but the ensuing Israeli offensive into Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Despite international outcry, Israel now plans a ground invasion of Rafah, which houses around 1.4 million refugees.