Politics

Judgment of International Court of Justice against Israel will be ‘severe’ unless it immediately stops onslaught of Gaza, says Ryan

Minister for Climate Action says key sections of evidence being presented in case taken by South Africa against Israel are ‘irrefutable’

Displaced Palestinians walking from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south. The International Court of Justice is hearing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Photograph: Samar Abu Elouf/The New York Times
Displaced Palestinians walking from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south. The International Court of Justice is hearing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Photograph: Samar Abu Elouf/The New York Times
Harry McGee
Wed Jan 10 2024 - 18:21

The judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israeli over alleged genocide in Gaza will be “very severe” unless it immediately stops its onslaught on the Palestinian enclave, Minister for Climate Action and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said.

He said key parts of the evidence being presented by South Africa, which is taking the case against Israel, were “irrefutable” and could not be defended. He said the evidence came from two highly respected United Nations agencies.

He said the World Food Program (WFP) had found that the entire 2.2 million population of Gaza was under crisis and facing acute levels of food insecurity. He said the WFP had found that more than a quarter of the population had already exhausted their food supplies and had exhausted their coping capacities. “They face catastrophic hunger and starvation. That’s an immediate risk. That’s the World Food Program saying that’s the risk today.”

Eamon Ryan said there are “irrefutable” points in South Africa’s case against Israel for genocide in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Video: PA

Mr Ryan said the UN Commission on Human Rights had said on November 16th that the international community had an obligation to prevent atrocity crimes, including genocide. “It said we should immediately consider all diplomatic and political and economic measures to that end. That’s coming from UN organisations. That’s not something that you can put off. That’s not something you can be diplomatic and polite about. That’s an immediate urgent atrocity in the making unless they stop now.”

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Mr Ryan was speaking the opening day of the ICJ hearings in The Hague on a case being taken by South Africa alleging genocide by Israel. The Israeli government is defending its actions.

Mr Ryan argued that Ireland as a country had consistently stood up for the rights of the Palestinian people going back decades. “But also in an immediate sense to stand (against) the actions the Israeli government and military are taking, which are putting Palestinian people in Gaza at risk of immediate starvation.”

He said if the Israeli government did not change tack the rest of the world would deliver a “really harsh judgment” on what had been done to the Palestinian people.

He said this did not undermine in any way the right of Israel to its safety. He also deplored the atrocity that occurred on October 7th.*

“The scale of what Israel is doing, and the risk to the Palestinian people, absolutely has to stop, and if not the judgment in my mind against the Israeli government will be severe,” said Mr Ryan.

*This article was edited on Friday, January 26th, 2024 to remove a clause that inaccurately summarised the events of October 7th.

Harry McGee

Harry McGee

Harry McGee is a Political Correspondent with The Irish Times