Congress notes the recent International Court of Justice ruling that Israel has a prima facia case to be answered and the order on the request for provisional measures in the South Africa v. Israel case.
We welcome the Court’s ruling and orders and urge the Government to do all that it can to ensure that Israel implements all provisional measures within the one-month prescribed.
These include not to commit any acts of genocide, and that Israel “take immediate and effective measures to ensure urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance are provided in Gaza”.
About the matter of aid, it is disturbing to see some countries suspending funding to UNRWA following Israeli intelligence allegations of some staff participation in the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th. We share the confidence of the Tánaiste in UNRWA leadership investigating thoroughly and welcome the fact that Ireland has no plans to suspend funding for UNRWA’s vital Gaza work. Coming as it does just days after the ICJ orders, the timing of these announcements by some countries is rather suspicious, flies in the face of the ruling, and ignores the fact that UNRWA stands as the sole organization overseeing the reception, storage, and distribution of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, who are now dependent on this because of the destruction Israel has wrought there.
We also note the Government statement that, following legal advice, it will strongly consider intervention in the case and also urge them to consider all measures they can take, including economic sanctions, until the occupation ends and Israel complies with international law.
