Bolstered by a momentous ICJ ruling, Palestinians, including Americans, gave three hours of testimony against the Biden administration.
Lawyers involved with the lawsuit playing out in federal court said that the ICJ ruling bolsters their case. Their lawsuit argues that Biden, Blinken, and Austin are liable under U.S. law for failing to uphold their obligation to prevent genocide in Gaza.
Barry Trachtenberg, a professor of Jewish history and author of two books about the Holocaust, testified as an expert witness in the case – over repeated objections from Justice Department attorneys. When he filed his declaration in the case in November, he said, some 11,000 Palestinians had been killed. Today, that number is far greater.
“Everything that we feared and more is unfolding,” he said, noting that often, legal actions about genocide happen long after the fact. “What makes this situation so unique is that we’re watching the genocide unfold as we speak. And we’re in this incredibly unique position where we can actually intervene to stop it using the mechanisms of international law that are available to us.”
It’s not a victory. The court imposed no new restrictions on Israel that it was not already imposing on itself.
The reporting is absolutely wild. I see news article afte rnews article of reports of buildings being blown up with dozens of civilians inside, but they rarely name the building or adequately describe its location, so it’s basically impossible to fact check. It’s also impossible to know whether I just read 25 stories about the same building or 25 stories about 25 buildings.
When I have been able to identify the building, every single time there have been repeated warnings down to the individuals in the building being called on their phones to say get out.
The outrageous number of civilian casualties is easily explained by the strategy deployed by Hamas to maximize civilian casualties. There is nothing better to Hamas than seeing a Palestinian person die to an Israeli weapon, and then getting to blab to the international community about it, even if it was Hamas who told the person to go stand in front of the bomb.
If Israel was committing genocide, the Court would have issued an order to stand down. They didn’t do that. They requested Israel not commit a genocide and smack the government officials talking out of turn into place.
They pretty much issued a green light to destroy Hamas provided Israel keeps doing what they’re doing.
That’s a fair reading of it.
Well ya, I’ve got half a fucking brain unlike seemingly half this thread.