Malaysian pro-Palestine NGO files lawsuit against Israel

A Malaysian NGO has become the first organisation in the world to file a lawsuit against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming that the state has violated  United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.

The resolution, which was passed in 2016, reaffirmed that Israeli settlements on Palestinian land since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a violation of international law.

The Malaysia-based MyAqsa Foundation said Israel's continued settlement activity in the occupied territories is an insult to the UN's authority.

"This resolution requires Israel to immediately stop all illegal activities in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and the West Bank," MyAqsa chief executive Noorazman Mohamed Samsuddin was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as saying.

"MyAqsa is convinced that the violation of Resolution 2334 will cause chaos and security instability not only in West Asia but also throughout the world," he added.

MyAqsa's CEO said that the group formalised the claims against Israel on Wednesday. He added that studies by his NGO had shown that Israel has violated at least 28 Security Council resolutions.

The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334 in December 2016, however, it is only recommendatory in nature. The UNSC is unable to take punitive action against Israel to force it to abide by Resolution 2334.

Today, more than 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in constructions considered illegal under international law.