26 August 2023; MEMO: The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas – condemned on Friday Britain’s stance to oppose International Court of Justice (ICJ) addressing the legality of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.
In a statement, Hamas said that “it regards this decision is a continuation of Britain’s historical support for Israel’s colonial occupation policies that have resulted in the denial of the Palestinian people’s rights.”
Hamas stated that “this decision is deeply rooted in Britain’s infamous Balfour Declaration and its whitewashing of the fascist occupation crimes against the Palestinian people, land, and holy sites.”
The Palestinian resistance movement stressed: “Britain’s endeavours to block international courts from stopping the occupation forces and colonial settlers’ heinous crimes against the Palestinian people are a violation of the principles of justice and equality.”
Concluding its statement, Hamas called on Britain and the international community “to end the double-standards policy towards the issue of Palestine and assume their responsibilities to end the settler-colonial occupation of Palestine and prosecute its leaders for their crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people.”
This came after the UK government set out its opposition to the expected ICJ advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the “occupation, settlement and annexation” of Palestinian land in a legal opinion seen by The Guardian newspaper.
Palestinian activists, factions and rights groups have expressed concern that the UK government is planning to block the ICJ from ruling on the legal consequences of Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory.
