UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called on Israel to comply with Wednesday’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, ensuring that residents of the Gaza Strip and other occupied Palestinian territories have access to essential life supplies.
In a statement cited by the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Turk said the ICJ reaffirmed the applicability of “international human rights law alongside international humanitarian law” in the occupied territories. He stressed that Israel must respect, protect, and guarantee the human rights of Palestinians.
“The Court highlighted fundamental rights, including the right to life; protection from torture; freedom of movement; family protection; adequate living standards; health; education; non-discrimination; and self-determination,” Turk said.
He urged Israel and all states to comply with the law as clarified by the Court and to act urgently to improve “human rights conditions and humanitarian situations” in the occupied Palestinian territories.
