NEW YORK: Tirana Hassan, the executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), commended South Africa for bringing Israel’s military aggression against Gaza to the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Hassan emphasized the significance of this move and stated that the international community bears the responsibility of ensuring Israel’s compliance with any measures or orders issued by the court.
Hassan stated, “If Israel does not comply with the measures or orders of the court, then it is up to the international community to ensure that they are leveraging whatever pressure that they can to encourage Israel to actually implement the measures.” The HRW head stressed the importance of holding Israel accountable for its actions in the Gaza conflict.
The remarks from HRW come amidst the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip, with the health system facing severe challenges due to Israeli attacks. The Gaza health ministry reported a death toll of at least 23,469 people since the conflict erupted on October 7, along with 59,604 people wounded. The United Nations has raised concerns about the non-operational status of a significant portion of basic health facilities in Gaza, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
