Namibian official Gladice Pickering says world 'must hold Israel accountable'
Published date: 14 May 2025 12:49 BST
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Last update: 1 month ago
Gladice Pickering, the Executive Director to Namibia's Ministry of Justice, urged the world to hold Israel accountable for its occupation of the West Bank and its war and blockade of Gaza.
Pickering was speaking in The Hague, during hearings at the International Court of Justice over Israel's obligations to allow aid into Gaza and Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, to operate freely in the besieged strip.
It came as the UN warned of mass starvation in Gaza after its food stocks in the strip were fully depleted by Israel's ongoing blockade of the enclave since 2 March.
Below is thew full text of Pickering's remarks in an interview with Middle East Eye outside the ICJ on 1 May 2025:
"Namibia has been a longstanding supporter for the cause and the plight of the Palestinian people to be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination, as is provided for in the UN Charter. We have urged the court today through our submissions to find, through an advisory opinion, that Israel as an occupying state, as an occupying power, has obligations under international humanitarian and international human rights law to allow for the people of Palestine to have access to much-needed aid and humanitarian supply—to be able to enjoy their rights to food, to shelter, to medical needs, and so forth.
And we have again urged the court to make a finding on the prolonged occupation by Israel of the occupied Palestinian territory. The plight of the Palestinian people is very, very close to the hearts of Namibians because we have gone through a similar experience when we were occupied for a very long time by apartheid South Africa. And that is why we have a moral obligation to support the people of Palestine to exercise their right to self-determination.
It was the persistence and the solidarity of the international community at the time when Namibia was waging its fight for liberation from the occupation of apartheid South Africa. At the time, many states stepped in on behalf of Namibia to ensure that we obtained our independence and that we were able to exercise our right to self-determination.
Israel has obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and there should be accountability for the violation of those obligations. The refusal of access to aid for the Palestinian people has resulted in many children dying as a result of malnutrition, and also for the people finding themselves trapped in a situation where they have no hope, no means for survival, and where their livelihoods are being impaired because of the aid that cannot reach them.
We have an obligation to ensure that Israel is held accountable, that Israel opens the blockades, and that they also suspend the anti-UNRWA laws, because this is causing a violation of their duties under international law. Any decision taken by any country in the world to impose any measures against Namibia as a result of our support for the cause of the Palestinian people will be dealt with at the time when it occurs.
Namibia has no intention of not continuing to support the people of Palestine in their quest for self-determination. The Republic of Namibia already approved in 2024 measures in the furtherance of the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine. One of those measures includes preventing ships from docking in any of our harbours—for whatever reason—if it carries ammunition or any other supplies for Israel in the prolonging of its occupation of Palestine and also in the violation of the rights of the people of Palestine."
Pickering was speaking in The Hague, during hearings at the International Court of Justice over Israel's obligations to allow aid into Gaza and Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, to operate freely in the besieged strip.
It came as the UN warned of mass starvation in Gaza after its food stocks in the strip were fully depleted by Israel's ongoing blockade of the enclave since 2 March.
Below is thew full text of Pickering's remarks in an interview with Middle East Eye outside the ICJ on 1 May 2025:
"Namibia has been a longstanding supporter for the cause and the plight of the Palestinian people to be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination, as is provided for in the UN Charter. We have urged the court today through our submissions to find, through an advisory opinion, that Israel as an occupying state, as an occupying power, has obligations under international humanitarian and international human rights law to allow for the people of Palestine to have access to much-needed aid and humanitarian supply—to be able to enjoy their rights to food, to shelter, to medical needs, and so forth.
And we have again urged the court to make a finding on the prolonged occupation by Israel of the occupied Palestinian territory. The plight of the Palestinian people is very, very close to the hearts of Namibians because we have gone through a similar experience when we were occupied for a very long time by apartheid South Africa. And that is why we have a moral obligation to support the people of Palestine to exercise their right to self-determination.
It was the persistence and the solidarity of the international community at the time when Namibia was waging its fight for liberation from the occupation of apartheid South Africa. At the time, many states stepped in on behalf of Namibia to ensure that we obtained our independence and that we were able to exercise our right to self-determination.
Israel has obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and there should be accountability for the violation of those obligations. The refusal of access to aid for the Palestinian people has resulted in many children dying as a result of malnutrition, and also for the people finding themselves trapped in a situation where they have no hope, no means for survival, and where their livelihoods are being impaired because of the aid that cannot reach them.
We have an obligation to ensure that Israel is held accountable, that Israel opens the blockades, and that they also suspend the anti-UNRWA laws, because this is causing a violation of their duties under international law. Any decision taken by any country in the world to impose any measures against Namibia as a result of our support for the cause of the Palestinian people will be dealt with at the time when it occurs.
Namibia has no intention of not continuing to support the people of Palestine in their quest for self-determination. The Republic of Namibia already approved in 2024 measures in the furtherance of the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine. One of those measures includes preventing ships from docking in any of our harbours—for whatever reason—if it carries ammunition or any other supplies for Israel in the prolonging of its occupation of Palestine and also in the violation of the rights of the people of Palestine."
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