Pakistan praised the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision on provisional measures instructing Israel to abstain from actions prohibited by the Genocide Convention.
Emphasizing the need for implementing these provisional measures, where the court also affirmed its jurisdiction to consider the case against Israel and deemed South Africa’s genocide claims as “credible,” Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch highlighted that compliance with the ICJ’s ruling necessitates an immediate and effective cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
The court, in its decision, has directed Israel to refrain from killing members of the group, causing serious physical or mental harm to group members, deliberately imposing conditions of life aimed at the group’s total or partial physical destruction, and imposing measures to prevent births within the group.
Additionally, the court mandated Israel to promptly implement effective measures facilitating the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian aid to address the challenging living conditions faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Advocating for the complete and effective execution of the ICJ’s judgment, the FO underscored the importance of upholding and safeguarding the basic human rights, dignity, and identity of the Palestinian people as a distinct group, in line with the UN Charter, relevant UN resolutions, and international law.
Referring to the ICJ ruling as a “timely” and significant step towards justice for the Palestinian people and international accountability for Israel, the FO deplored the military aggression and criminal actions by Tel Aviv forces against Palestinians in the beleaguered territory.
This decision comes amid an ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the death of more than 26,000 Palestinians. The area is currently under Israeli siege, leading to severe food and water shortages, along with a critical lack of medicines and essential services.
Various human rights organizations, including the United Nations (UN), have urged an immediate ceasefire to address the humanitarian crisis in the territory, where millions of residents have been displaced due to Israel’s military actions.
Pakistan, which has sent multiple aid shipments to the besieged territory, has reiterated its steadfast support for the Palestinian people in their just and legitimate struggle for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.
