SACP welcomes International Court of Justice's advisory opinion reaffirming Palestinian people's right to sovereign statehood and self-determination

Friday, 24 October 2025: - The South African Communist Party (SACP) welcomes the advisory opinion delivered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday 22 October 2025 reaffirming the Palestinian people's right to an independent and sovereign statehood and self-determination. This fundamental right has been suppressed by the apartheid Israeli regime since it invaded and occupied Palestine from 1947 and has continued its genocidal attacks on the Palestinian people with the help of its imperialist benefactors, chiefly the United States.

Having recognised the Palestinian people's right to statehood, the ICJ also called upon the apartheid Israeli regime, which continues to illegally occupy Palestinian land, to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law, including ensuring that the Palestinian people have the essential supplies of daily life, especially food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services.

The ICJ further called for Israel to respect the prohibition on forcible transfer and deportation of Palestinians, a crucial element of ethnic cleansing, and to respect the right of prisoners detained by Israel to be visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The apartheid Israeli regime has used starvation as part of its genocidal assault on Gaza, blocking urgently needed humanitarian aid, leading to the malnourishment and death of children. The ICJ condemned this action and called for Israel to respect the prohibition on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. As the ICJ stated, Israel has an obligation under international human rights law to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of Palestinian people and to co-operate in good faith with the United Nations by providing every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. Israel has the duty to allow the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to operate, without being unduly impeded, to provide much needed humanitarian relief to the Palestinian in Gaza. In this respect, the ICJ clarified further that the Israeli regime has the duty under international law to fully respect the privileges and immunities of members of the UNRWA and other officials of the United Nations working in Palestine.

In furtherance of its genocide on the Palestinian people, since October 2023, the apartheid Israeli regime has murdered over 68,280 Palestinians in Gaza. Over 170,375 have been injured, while thousands more remain buried under the rubble. During the same period, the Israeli regime has murdered over 1,056 Palestinians in the West Bank, injuring at least 10,300, while detaining more than 20,000 others.

In solidarity with the people of Palestine, the SACP will continue to collaborate with justice loving people in our country and across the world in efforts to bring about justice and peace in Palestine, and, in this regard, to ensure that those who are guilty of the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine are brought to justice. The SACP further calls upon more voices across the globe to isolate the apartheid Israeli state to force it to succumb to the demands of the people of the world for the end of the carnage and freedom of the Palestinian people.