Beyza Binnur Donmez
14 March 2025•Update: 15 March 2025
- 'I hope (for peace). On the other hand, it could be the case that Israel has been using the ceasefire just to buy time to get the release of the hostages,' Ben Saul warns in interview with Anadolu
- 'We could well be in the same position in five years' time, 10 years' time, if Israel thinks it can somehow maintain security over the territory without fulfilling Palestinians' fundamental rights,' says Saul
GENEVA
Efforts to enforce international humanitarian law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories have once again stalled, as political divisions prevent states from reaching a consensus on holding Tel Aviv accountable, according to UN special rapporteur Ben Saul.
A conference aimed at addressing the application of the Geneva Conventions to the Occupied Palestinian Territories was recently canceled, with Swiss authorities citing a “lack of will” among participants to agree on a common approach. Saul, in an interview with Anadolu, said the failure reflected deep polarization between Israel’s allies and the wider international community.
“Certainly, it reflects the political polarization between certain allies of Israel and the majority of the international community who are keen to enforce international humanitarian (law) against Israel,” the special rapporteur on the protection of human rights said.
“The difficulty is that the international community, the Red Cross, and Switzerland in organizing a conference of states parties need a certain level of agreement in order to issue statements about compliance with humanitarian law.”
Saul noted that while some countries refuse to acknowledge Israel’s violations of international law, the evidence is overwhelming.
“Some states simply deny that Israel has been violating international law. That’s clearly contradicted by the facts that we’ve seen over the last 18 months, by the fact that the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants suggesting that there is very credible, plausible evidence of war crimes,” he stated.
Blocking accountability efforts
Saul described the issue as a “political problem,” with certain states working to shield Israel from accountability in international forums.
“Some states are attempting to shield Israel from accountability, and in mechanisms like the Conference of State Parties, they’re trying to thwart those efforts to better enforce international law,” he said.
While a draft final resolution had been prepared, it never gained sufficient support, making it clear that the conference was doomed from the start.
“I think Switzerland did its best, but countries were just far too far apart to get any kind of progress on an agreement,” he said.
Switzerland, which was set to host the conference on March 7, announced last week that it had been canceled due to a lack of political consensus. Bern had invited 196 states to discuss the situation of civilians in the Israeli-occupied territories, but Swiss officials acknowledged that the positions of the parties were “too far apart to achieve a result.”
The event was mandated by the UN General Assembly with a six-month deadline. However, since it was scheduled near the end of that period, postponement to allow for wider participation was not an option, Franz Perrez, head of the directorate of international law at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), said at a news briefing in Geneva.
Israel’s long-term strategy and cease-fire concerns
Looking ahead, Saul warned that the lack of international consensus could embolden Israel to continue its policies in Gaza. He raised concerns that the cease-fire could be a temporary maneuver rather than a genuine step toward lasting peace.
“I hope (for peace). On the other hand, it could be the case that Israel has been using the ceasefire just to buy time to get the release of the hostages, and then once they’re released, it may well resume the conflict,” he cautioned.
“It certainly hasn’t shown any strong indications that it wants a long-term peaceful settlement,” he added.
Saul further criticized Israel’s broader approach, arguing that its strategy has failed to address the root causes of the conflict.
“I think all the indications are that Israel wants to keep Gaza under control —remote control — but certainly not for it to join with the West Bank and become an independent state anytime soon. And that is incredibly strange, given that it’s clear that the Israeli strategy of trying to contain Gaza as a security problem has not worked,” he said.
“We could well be in the same position in five years’ time, 10 years’ time, if Israel thinks it can somehow maintain security over the territory without fulfilling Palestinians’ fundamental rights.”
