Iran to Engage in Process of ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Palestine


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Republic of Iran will be involved in a UN procedure in which the General Assembly has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion about the legal consequences of the Israeli regime’s atrocities against Palestine.

The United Nations General Assembly on December 30, 2022, adopted the Resolution 77/247 about the Israeli regime’s practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Referring to Article 96 of the UN Charter, the resolution has requested the ICJ to render an advisory opinion on two questions.

The resolution has called on the court to give its opinion on what the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination are and how the policies and practices of Israel affect the legal status of the occupation.

After the adoption of the resolution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran decided to take part in the process of forming the advisory opinion in accordance with Tehran’s basic stances on the cause of Palestine.

The Foreign Ministry has made arrangement with a number of Iranian organizations to devise a plan for Iran’s involvement in the UN process and express the country’s oral opinion about the need to hold a referendum in the Palestinians territories, in conformity with Iran’s foreign policy doctrine and the guidelines given by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

In the presentation of its oral arguments, Iran is going to refuse to recognize the Israeli regime and expound on three main subject: the ICJ’s jurisdiction as regards the advisory opinion upon the request from the UNGA, the Israeli regime’s violation of international law, and the world governments’ commitment to ending the Israeli crimes immediately and without preconditions.

Oral proceedings have been in progress at the ICJ on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories since February 18.

More than 50 states and at least three international organizations will address judges at the United Nations’ top court until February 26. A nonbinding legal opinion is expected after months of deliberation by the judges.

On Monday, Palestinian representatives presented their arguments on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem al-Quds and the Gaza Strip. The occupation is illegal and must be brought to an immediate, unconditional and total end, they argued.

The Zionist regime is not attending the hearings but sent a five-page written statement saying an advisory opinion would be “harmful” to attempts to resolve the conflict because questions posed by the UN General Assembly are prejudiced.

At least 29,313 Palestinians have been killed and 69,333 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.