By Kouthar Sambo

Today marks the third consecutive day that more than 50 countries will present their arguments at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) until 26 February. So far, ten countries presented their arguments on Tuesday on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

The countries that presented their arguments on Tuesday are as follows:

South Africa
Algeria
Saudi Arabia
Netherlands
Bangladesh
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
and Chile

The following countries will present their arguments today:

Colombia
Cuba
Egypt
United Arab Emirates
United States
Russia
France
The Gambia
Guyana
Hungary

The arguments presented at the ICJ come after the 2022 request from the United Nations (UN) General Assembly for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation in Palestine.

Speaking on VOC’s Drive Time on Tuesday, legal reporter Ayesha Vahed, described the situation as rather “positive” in light of the Palestinian struggle.

“Everybody has given submissions in favour of Palestine, and we have not had a single submission going against the court ruling for the self-determination of the Palestinians,” explained Vahed.

From South Africa, all the way to Brazil, said Vahed, everybody has been in favour of Israel being taken to task for its humanitarian and legal violation.

Vahed added that drawing parallels between the Palestinian struggle and Apartheid was a common phenomenon at the ICJ.

“One of Palestine’s speakers spoke about Apartheid so strongly, and all of them made mention of Apartheid in South Africa,” relayed Vahed.

“Even though Israel is perpetuating a genocide, through all this international pressure on Israel, including some US pressure this week, still nothing seems to make them uncomfortable,” she maintained.

It seems that they are trying to continue their military aggressions, she argued, by wiping out as much of Gaza as they can in the time they have left.

“It looks like Israel is getting desperate to try and do as much damage as they can while the world is starting to recognize these atrocities for what they are,” expressed Vahed.

Vahed further highlighted the importance of social media and the role it has played in swaying people’s perceptions of the aggression in Gaza.

“At this stage, if you are defending Israel with everything at your disposal, from the news to the live accounts to the court’s provisional measures, to the genocide case and advisory opinion on how it has been going so far, then you are choosing not to see the truth,” reiterated Vahed.

“Nobody can plead ignorance any longer because if you are still in support of Israel, you are choosing to support an Apartheid regime, and you do not see people as equal before the law. It is a very informed choice, and it is yours to make,” asserted Vahed.

Photo: @QudsNen/X