Turkish parliamentary delegation arrives in The Hague to follow Turkish statement at ICJ

By Selman Aksunger

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AA) — A delegation of Turkish lawmakers arrived in The Hague on Sunday to follow their country's oral statement at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), addressing the legal implications of Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Cuneyt Yuksel, the chairman of the committee, told Anadolu that the world court had heard the oral arguments of total of 45 countries so far since Feb. 19, when the hearings began.

"Tomorrow, following Türkiye’s presentation, the hearings will end with the presentations of four more countries and three international organizations," he noted.

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

"We hope that at the end of this process, the legal findings on the oppression of Palestinians will be revealed," he added.

He said Türkiye would continue to seek accountability and justice for Israel's actions in relevant international bodies as long as Tel Aviv's occupation of Palestine continues.

Besides Türkiye, 51 countries and the Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and African Union, have been presenting 30-minute oral arguments since Feb. 19, starting with Palestine on the very first day. The hearings will end with the Maldives' testimony on Monday.

The main duties of the ICJ include resolving legal disputes that arise between states in line with international law and providing advisory opinions on legal issues referred to it.

The UN court, at the request of the UN General Assembly, will issue a non-binding advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's policies and acts in occupied Palestine on this issue.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing more than 29,690 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

The Israeli war on 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.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar