Trump’s plan for “ethnic cleaning” in Gaza is illegal, explains the UN investigator – Politico

Trump said last week, he wanted the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip, send the Palestinians elsewhere and redevelop the land as the “Middle East Riviera”. He announced the plan alongside his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he “was worth listening to this idea carefully”.

Pillay, a former judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Special Court who judged the Rwandan genocide, also condemned Trump’s sanctions against the ICC, who issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu for war crimes.

“International law also applies, without double standards for friends of a state,” said Pillay.

On Friday, a group of nearly 80 countries published a joint declaration in defense of the ICC, warning sanctions could force the closure of the Court offices and undermine its investigation.

PILLAY – The first non -white woman to sit on the bench of the High Court of South Africa – also told Politico that she would support an accusation of the apartheid of the ICC against Israel. “Apartheid is one of the control demonstrations there,” she said about the occupation of Israel in Palestine.

Countries around the world have helped reduce apartheid in South Africa with sanctions against the regime, she noted, adding that governments should impose the same against Israel. Apartheid is a crime against humanity under the law governing the ICC.

“I don’t see Karim Khan, CPI prosecutor), charging this crime. I was a judge in this court, I understand that it is a bit complicated to charge a crime that has never been charged before … But if apartheid gets up, I will support him, “said Pillay, adding that his own commission plans to investigate Israel on the allegation of apartheid.

Last October, the Pillay commission accused Israel of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the targeted destruction of the Gaza health system. The Commission is under the United Nations Human Rights Council, from which Israel withdrew on Wednesday for “discrimination” and “anti -Semitism”.