Tammy Bruce, Department
Spokesperson
April 30, 2025
The United States of
America, represented by the Office of the Legal Adviser of
the Department of State, appeared this morning, April 30th,
in The Hague at the public hearing of the International
Court of Justice on the request by the General Assembly for
an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations in relation to
the presence and activities of the United Nations, other
international organizations, and third states, including
with respect to humanitarian assistance.
The United
States voted against the resolution referring the matter to
the Court and continues to be of the view that the referral
is inappropriate because it unduly singles out Israel and
does not advance efforts to achieve progress towards a
ceasefire and release of all the hostages. The United States
supports the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza with
safeguards to ensure assistance is not looted or misused by
terrorist groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic
Jihad, which harm Israelis and Palestinians alike.
The
U.S. remarks at the hearing focused on the narrow legal
questions before the Court and the straightforward answers
found in well-established rules of international law,
including the respective roles of the Security Council and
General Assembly under the UN Charter. The U.S. remarks also
stressed the particular importance of using established
legal frameworks and not taking up invitations from others
to establish new obligations that have no basis in
international law. The US presentation also reaffirmed that
Israel has ample grounds to question UNRWA’s impartiality.
Israel is not obligated to work with UNRWA in these
circumstances.
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