5 June 2024: A group of UN experts have called on all countries to recognize the State of Palestine. The experts said in a statement: “This recognition is an important acknowledgment of the rights of the Palestinian people and their struggles and suffering towards freedom and independence.”
They stressed that Palestine “must be able to enjoy full self-determination, including the ability to exist, determine their destiny and develop freely as a people with safety and security.”
The experts said: “This is a pre-condition for lasting peace in Palestine and the entire Middle East – beginning with the immediate declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza and no further military incursions into Rafah.”
Highlighting the recent decisions of the International Court of Justice, which called on Israel to “immediately halt” its military operation in Rafah, and the International Criminal Court’s decision to seek arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, the UN experts said: “States must refrain from threats and attacks against the ICC and the ICJ. These courts must operate without foreign interference and threats, to uphold the promise of global justice and individual accountability for all victims of the conflict.”
Israel intensified its attacks on Rafah following the ICJ ruling and has continued to hinder the delivery of lifesaving supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza.
