“Int’l Gaza Court” initiative calls for UN action bypassing UNSC veto to end Zionist regime’s aggression

In a press conference held Friday in Istanbul, Falk expressed deep disappointment at how Western liberal democracies have colluded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

He said the court’s statement primarily demands a UN General Assembly mandate that circumvents both the UNSC veto and the slow pace of the International Court of Justice, along with its technical limitations.

Falk proposed a radical pathway: combining existing UN tools with the “Uniting for Peace” mechanism, first used during the Korean War in 1950 and reactivated during the Suez Crisis in 1956. He noted that this method was effective during the Cold War at preserving UN accountability despite the Soviet veto power.

Falk said the initiative hopes to bring this issue to the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York this September.

Urgency for bold action

Falk warned that without bold and structural intervention, the time to save Palestinians in Gaza, enduring genocide for 22 months, may slip away.

“We aim to awaken the conscience of all peoples,” Falk said. He supported measures such as arms embargoes and global solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for basic rights.

The group plans to hold a gathering in Istanbul at the end of October, where a jury of conscience will issue decisive rulings.

When asked about the UN’s duty to protect, Falk responded: “The doctrine of protection could be constructively redefined. Besides easing suffering, it encourages Palestinians to claim their basic rights, including self-determination.”

He added that complete Israeli occupation and denial of protection to Palestinians in their own homeland suggest that Gaza isn’t the last crisis but a critical phase of genocide.

Falk warned that Israeli violence extends beyond Gaza and the West Bank, with growing speculation of a proxy war against Iran to divert attention from ongoing atrocities.

He accused Zionism’s ultimate aim of cementing Jewish supremacy while reducing both the physical and political presence of Palestinians.

Falk emphasized that Israel is trying to silence journalists and obscure the truth. Urging a shift in global response, he said: “Israel must be recognized as an outlaw state; not included in sporting, cultural, academic, or scientific collaborations,” and pressure should extend to complicit corporations.

Shift in US public opinion

Falk highlighted a dramatic shift in the American public, including among Jewish Americans, which is beginning to pressure Congress toward a more balanced policy.

He noted that the battlelines are drawn between Congress and the White House, who honor Netanyahu, versus civil society, which now increasingly views him as a war criminal rivaling Hitler.

The International Gaza Court initiative launched in November 2023 in London, led by former UN rapporteurs Richard Falk, Michael Lynk, Henri Fara, and academics such as Noura Ereikat, Susan Akram, Ahmed Koçoğlu, John Reynolds, Diana Buttu, Jamil Eidan, and Benny Gantz.

Since 7 October 2023, Zionist regime has perpetrated a genocide in Gaza, backed by US support, involving killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement. This has continued despite international appeals and the International Court of Justice’s orders to cease.

The toll so far: 62,004 Palestinians martyred, 156,230 injured, the majority women and children, over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and 263 deaths from famine alone, including 112 children.