Leading Irish peace and human rights activists including Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire have just released a petition (published by Belfast Media) calling on Ireland to invoke the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice.

See piece in the leading Pakistani newspaper The Dawn: “Can Israel Be Charged With Genocide?” by three leading Pakistani law professors at Lahore University.The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was initiated 75 years ago, through General Assembly resolution 260 A (III) of 9 December 1948.

DJAOUIDA SIACI, ds@dsattorneyatlaw.com
Siaci is an attorney with a dual specialization in cross-border disputes and international criminal investigations, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa region.

She just wrote the piece “Israel-Palestine war: Why the World Court is the right place to try Israel for genocide,” which states: “Unlike with the ICC, an ICJ action brought by state signatories to the Genocide Convention would have immediacy and force Israel to cease its brutal assault on Gaza’s civilians.”

    She writes: “Huge swathes of neighbourhoods and five-generation families across Gaza have been obliterated. Over 15,000 people have been reportedly killed, including 6,000 children, and countless others buried beneath the rubble of demolished buildings. …

“Regardless of its justification for initiating the unrelenting onslaught on Gaza, there is mounting evidence that Israel’s actions in Gaza might well make a compelling argument that articles II and III of the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948 (Genocide Convention) have been violated.

“And while individual criminal liability of those personally responsible may be pursued elsewhere, including at the International Criminal Court (ICC), high expectations are raised by the prospect of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), or World Court, holding the state of Israel responsible for breach of its treaty obligations arising under the Genocide Convention. …

“As conflict rages on in Gaza, invoking Article IX of the Genocide Convention would be a reasonable move for several states party to it, including Brazil, Bolivia, South Africa and others, to act together and bring a case against Israel.

    “The benefit of an ICJ action would be immediate, as it can afford the possibility of provisional measures seeking that Israel cease and desist from acts of genocide.”

See related IPA news releases.