UN experts urge states to join Hague Group and hold Israel accountable – JURIST

A coalition of independent UN human rights experts called on additional States to join the Hague Group on Thursday. The statement urges states to ensure accountability for Israel’s alleged violations of international law and cooperate with the international courts to restore the rule-based international order. ​

The experts, part of the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures, expressed concern that the credibility of the international legal system is at risk due to widespread inaction over ongoing violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. They warned that failure to act could set back the multilateral system by decades and called for decisive, principled, and concerted action.

The UN experts also highlighted the disproportionate impact of the ongoing conflict on vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. They stressed that ensuring accountability for violations is essential to safeguarding fundamental human rights and preserving international peace and security. The experts concluded,

We call on all nations to join us in our solemn commitment to an international order based on the rule of law. Only through coordinated, collective action can we hope to end this cycle of impunity and safeguard the rights and lives of those affected.

On January 31, delegates from nine nations formed the Hague Group, responding to the failure of the broader international community to halt Israel’s military actions and alleged crimes against Palestinians in the occupied territories. Drawing on a series of binding and advisory rulings, the group’s declaration cited the Advisory Opinion of July 2024 issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The opinion emphasized the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and called for a total and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories.

International human rights groups have documented numerous violations of international humanitarian law, from indiscriminate airstrikes that hit civilian shelters and hospitals to targeted demolitions and forced evictions in both Gaza and the West Bank. International legal actions have mounted, including an International Criminal Court’s investigation and South Africa’s application to the ICJ, accusing Israel of genocide under the Genocide Convention. Yet, Israeli authorities have largely refused to cooperate with UN inquiries or investigate alleged war crimes.