The Armenian National Committee of the Middle East has called for a halt to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
“The ongoing bloodshed [in Gaza] poses a serious threat to the geographical expansion of military operations, jeopardizing regional stability and exacerbating the resulting humanitarian tragedy,” said the Armenian National Committee of the Middle East in a statement released on January 11, 2024.
“Urgent steps must be taken to halt military operations and address the humanitarian disaster, initiating a process of peaceful settlement,” the statement continues.
More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed and 65,000 have been injured since Israel launched an unprecedented military assault on Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and destruction. The offensive follows an October 7 attack on Israeli military and civilian targets by Hamas. Over 1,200 Israelis have been killed in the war, the vast majority on October 7.
The Armenian National Committee of the Middle East released its statement on the first day of a hearing on South Africa’s “Application of the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip” at the International Court of Justice, which was filed against Israel on December 26, 2023.
The ICJ ordered the State of Israel to immediately “take all measures within its power” to protect the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip from violations of the Genocide Convention, including “prevent[ing] and punish[ing] incitement to commit genocide.”
In a 15-2 ruling issued on Jan. 26, the court also ordered Israel to provide “urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” to Gaza’s Palestinian civilians and “prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence” related to genocide allegations presented to the court by the government of South Africa.
The court also said that it was “gravely concerned” about the Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 and called for “their immediate and unconditional release.”
Israel must file a status report with the court detailing its progress on the court’s directives by Feb. 26, one month from the ICJ order’s issue date.