🤥 The ICJ case against Israel is ridiculous because Hamas attacked on October 7 and Israel is just defending itself.

Israel has been internationally recognized as an occupying power since 1967. As such, it DOES not have the right to self-defense as established by international law in its dealings with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. International law dictates that Israel cannot use more than police powers to maintain its security. There are very exceptional cases where military force is permitted. Even then, military force cannot take the form of warfare nor be used under the guise of self-defense under international law.

An occupied and oppressed people have the right to resist their occupier. Under the UN charter the occupier has no right to “self-defense” as they are the occupying aggressor.

Purposefully starving 2.2 million people and causing famine is not self-defense. Displacement and ethnic cleansing of 2 million people is not self-defense. Bombing hospitals, schools and mosques is not self-defense. Massacring 33,000 civilians, 70% of whom are women and children is not self-defense. Collective punishment is not self-defense. Actually, all the above is textbook genocide under international law.

Israel was occupying and killing Palestinians long before Hamas existed. The Nakba, when Israeli forces destroyed more than 531 Palestinian towns and villages and killed over 15,000 people, was in 1948. Israel’s illegal military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza began in 1967. Hamas was created in 1987 as a resistance group to Israeli oppression. If the occupation ends, Hamas would have no reason to attack.

Palestinians tried peaceful protests during the “Great March of Return” in 2018. As a result, 214 Palestinians, including 46 children, were killed by Israel, and over 36,100, including nearly 8,800 children were injured. One in five of those injured were hit by live ammunition.