UNGA has mandate to sue Israel

An Iranian professor in law says the UNSC has the mandate to sue the Israeli war crimes in Gaza, however the body is not expected to do anything as it has mired in a status of inaction under the influence of the US and Israel.

Sayyed Ahmad Tabatabai told Qudsna that an alternative to pursue the war crimes lies with the Palestinian Authority that has the capacity to sue Israel thank to its recognition by the UN.

“The PA can sue the crimes provided it has a serious resolve. They say the PA foreign minster has visited the Netherlands to file a complaint in the International Criminal Court,” he said.

The law professor noted that in the previous Israeli war on Gaza, no authority could sue the regime due to the reality that Palestine has no definite status in the international scene, however the country has already been recognized as a non-member observe by some 132 countries.

The professor suggested that if the Muslim countries exercise a strong diplomacy, they can use the UN General Assembly to sue Israel. “They may prove that the Security Council has failed to do its obligations. If proved, the assembly may take the assignment into its own hand,” the professor said, adding however that the mission depends on how a strong diplomatic position the Muslim states may adopt.

He cited the example of the North Korea early in the UN formation when the so-called 'Unity for Peace' resolution was approved, adding when the Security Council could not move forward on the North Korean nuclear issue, the UNGA took the assignment.

The professor added that the Islamic Republic as the rotary head of the non-aligned movement can follow up the mission to sue Israel under a few resolutions in the international body.