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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for Israel to “respond substantively” to the top United Nations court’s recent advisory opinion that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and that it should end.
The International Court of Justice’s non-binding opinion released last week was an unprecedented, sweeping condemnation of Israel’s rule over the lands it captured 57 years ago.
Trudeau responded to the court’s advice as part of a joint statement from Canada, Australia and New Zealand on Friday, calling for the reversal of settlements in the West Bank.
The statement, released by the Prime Minister’s Office, calls on 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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denounced the non-binding opinion last week, and insisted the territories are part of the Jewish people’s historic homeland.
In written submissions, Israel said the questions put to the court fail to address Israeli security concerns. Israeli officials have said the court’s intervention could undermine the peace process, which has been stagnant for more than a decade.
“The Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land — not in our eternal capital Jerusalem and not in the land of our ancestors in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office last week, using the biblical terms for the West Bank.
“No false decision in The Hague will distort this historical truth and likewise the legality of Israeli settlement in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested.”
The court said Israel had no right to sovereignty in the territories, was violating international laws against acquiring territory by force and was impeding Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
It said other nations were obliged not to “render aid or assistance in maintaining” Israel’s presence in the territories.
The statement by Canada, Australia and New Zealand did not promise any particular action or changes to their own policies or relationships with Israel.
“Israel must listen to the concerns of the international community,” the statement reads.
The court’s advice was released as Israel faces increasing global criticism for the deaths and suffering of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been ravaged by the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“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,” the countries said in the statement.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire, and said they stand behind a proposed deal outlined by United States President Joe Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council.
“We call on parties to the conflict to agree to the deal. Any delay will only see more lives lost,” they said.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand say Hamas must lay down its arms and release all Israeli hostages, and that they see no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza and an eventual two-state solution.
Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed, said calling for a two-state solution at this time doesn’t coincide with the reality in the region or offer practical help to Palestinians.
The end of the hostilities in Gaza is contingent on Hamas releasing more than 100 hostages, laying down arms and no longer using Palestinian civilian shields, he said in a statement Friday.
“Israel will continue to defend itself against hostile attacks on seven fronts, all directed by Iran through its proxies in the region,” Moed said in the statement.
“We call upon Canada, as a nation that values international law and institutions that uphold it, to do all it can to prevent those who try to disrupt global order from achieving their goals.”
The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas launched a terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7 that killed an estimated 1,200 people. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 39,100 Palestinians have been killed in the war.
In the joint statement, the three countries expressed concern about the prospect of the conflict escalating and expanding as a result of attacks on Israel by Iran and the Houthis, and the unstable and increasingly hostile situation at the Lebanese border between Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024.
— With files from The Associated Press
Laura Osman, The Canadian Press