Canada, Australia, New Zealand demand ceasefire and two-state solution after ICJ ruling
A joint statement calling for an urgent ceasefire to the war in Gaza and a two-state solution has been issued by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Christopher Luxon, the prime minister of New Zealand.
The statement described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and “unacceptable,” insisting that the human suffering “cannot continue,” and called on Israel to adhere to the recent decision made by the UN World Court, which ruled that Israel’s military presence in Gaza and settlement program in the West Bank was illegal.
The International Court of Justice at the Hague (ICJ) responded to the request for their opinion following UN General Assembly Resolution 77/247, which was drafted and sponsored by 32 states, most of which have no diplomatic ties with Israel, with some even refusing to recognize Israel as a state. The ICJ delivered their decision, which is separate from the deliberations concerning the accusation of genocide leveled at Israel by the South African government on July 19.
Israel’s presence and activity in Judea and Samaria has been a matter of dispute since 1967, with international law expert, including Prof. Eugene Kontorovich and British barrister, Natasha Hausdorff, defending the legality of Israel’s actions.
Hausdorff wrote that the ICJ's decision is an opinion without any legally binding status, and “ultimately undermined by the weakness of its reasoning, the misapplication of international law and the false factual basis upon which it is predicated.”
In their joint statement, the three prime ministers reiterated their condemnation of the Hamas terrorist organization, while calling for an end to the war and urging Israel to comply with the ICJ ruling.
“We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas for the atrocities of October 7 and ongoing acts of terror. Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages. We see no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza,” they wrote.
“Israel must listen to the concerns of the international community. The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement under international humanitarian law. Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. It must end.”
Notably, the statement laid out their determination to see a two-state solution in place, an idea rejected by 56% of Palestinians and 46% of Israeli Jews, according to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in 2020. The popularity of such a solution has declined dramatically since Oct. 7 with a recent Gallup poll finding 65% of Israelis now oppose the establishment of Palestinian state. Despite reluctance on the ground, the signatories declared they were determined to see it happen.
“We are committed to working towards an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders,” they wrote, adding: “This is the only realistic option to achieve a just and enduring peace.”
Following Australia's decision to impose financial sanctions and travel bans on seven Israelis convicted of attacking Palestinians, the statement also called for assurances that Israel would curb such violent attacks and halt construction in Judea and Samaria.
The leaders called for Israel to “ensure accountability for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinians by extremist settlers, reverse the record expansion of settlements in the West Bank which are illegal under international law, and work towards a two-state solution.”
“This escalation in hostilities only makes a ceasefire in Gaza more urgent. We urge all involved actors to exercise restraint and de-escalate. We support diplomatic efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. A wider scale war would have disastrous consequences for Israel and Lebanon, and for civilians across the region.”
Tensions have been rising along Israel's northern border with Lebanon. On Saturday, 12 children and youth were killed and dozens injured in an attack by Hezbollah on Majdal Shams, a Druze village in northern Israel.
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Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
