Saudi Arabia’s High Commissioner to the Netherlands, Ziad al-Attiyah, told the hearing that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians. This is a violation of international law. Israel should be prosecuted for this.
Ziad al-Attiyah said that Israel does not consider Palestinians as human beings. They treat Palestinians like disposable objects to be thrown away after use.
By expanding its illegal settlements and evicting Palestinians, Israel is making the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible, the Saudi ambassador said.
On the first day of the hearing on Monday, only Palestine presented its arguments. Yesterday, arguments were presented by Bangladesh, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Netherlands, Belgium, Chile, Belize, Bolivia and Brazil. Canada was also to give its presentation yesterday but at the last moment it announced that it would not participate in the hearing.
In December 2022, the UN General Assembly called on the ICJ to hold hearings regarding the Israeli occupation, its illegal settlements, and its covert efforts to annex Palestinian territory into Israeli territory. The ICJ’s instructions and opinion were sought regarding the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. More than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed during the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Palestine, which led to the hearing at the ICJ.