RETHINKING OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE AFTER GAZA

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 14-15 , 17 - 46 , 30.12.2025

Cüneyt Yüksel

https://izlik.org/JA22DW78FG

Öz

This study examines the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza through the lens of international law, with a particular focus on genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It analyzes the judicial processes before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), including the genocide case initiated by South Africa against Israel and Türkiye’s declaration of intervention. The paper critically assesses Israel’s occupation, settlement policies, and blockade in light of international humanitarian and human rights law. It further highlights the structural deficiencies of the United Nations and the paralysis of the Security Council. The study argues that the selective application of international law undermines its legitimacy, that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide, and that the Palestinian question represents not only a regional but also a global issue of justice. The concluding section offers proposals for institutional reforms aimed at strengthening the enforcement of international law and the protection of human rights.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Gaza , Genocide , United Nations , International Court of Justice , International Criminal Court , International Law , Türkiye

Gazze’den Sonra Adalet Peşinde Uluslararası Hukuku Yeniden Düşünmek

https://izlik.org/JA22DW78FG

Öz

Bu çalışma, Gazze’de devam eden insanlık krizini uluslararası hukuk perspektifinden ele almakta ve özellikle soykırım, insanlığa karşı suçlar ve savaş suçları bağlamında hukuki sorumluluğu tartışmaktadır. Çalışmada Uluslararası Ceza Mahkemesi (UCM) ve Uluslararası Adalet Divanı (UAD) nezdindeki yargı süreçleri, Güney Afrika tarafından İsrail aleyhinde açılan soykırım davası ve Türkiye’nin müdahillik beyanı ayrıntılı biçimde incelenmektedir. Ayrıca İsrail’in işgal, yerleşim politikaları ve ablukasının uluslararası insancıl hukuk ve insan hakları hukuku açısından yarattığı ihlaller değerlendirilmiş; Birleşmiş Milletlerin mevcut yapısal sorunları ve Güvenlik Konseyi’nin işlevsizliği vurgulanmıştır. Makale, uluslararası hukukun seçici uygulanmasının meşruiyet krizini derinleştirdiğini, Gazze’de yaşananların soykırım niteliği taşıdığını ve bu süreçlerin yalnızca bölgesel değil küresel bir adalet meselesi olduğunu ileri sürmektedir. Son bölümde, uluslararası hukukun etkinliğini artırmaya yönelik kurumsal reform önerilerine yer verilmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Gazze , Soykırım , Birleşmiş Milletler , Uluslararası Adalet Divanı , Uluslararası Ceza Mahkemesi , Uluslararası Hukuk , Türkiye

Kaynakça

• Bidzakin, E. K. (2024). Adoption of the strict liability approach against genocide. UCC Law Review, 4, 93–98.
• Henkin, L. (1990). The age of rights. Columbia University Press.
• Miron, A., & Chinkin, C. (2019). Article 63. In A. Zimmermann & C. J. Tams (Eds.), The statute of the International Court of Justice: A commentary (3rd ed., pp. 1741–1743). Oxford University Press.
• Agreements and Cases Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (South Africa v. Israel), ICJ Case No. 192 (2023). https://www.icj-cij.org/case/192
• Cançado Trindade, A. A. (2013, February 6). Separate opinion of Judge Cançado Trindade, request for an examination of the situation in accordance with paragraph 63 of the Court’s judgment of 16 December 1974 in the case concerning the aerial incident of 27 July 1955. International Court of Justice. https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/148/148-20130206- ORD-01-02-EN.pdf
• International Court of Justice. (2004, July 9). Legal consequences of the construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian territory (Advisory Opinion, ICJ Case No. 131). https://www.icj-cij. org/sites/default/files/case-related/131/131-20040709-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf
• International Court of Justice. (2015, February 3). Croatia v. Serbia, judgment (paras. 132–193), ICJ Case No. 118. https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/118
• International Court of Justice. (2024, January 26). Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (South Africa v. Israel), request for the indication of provisional measures, judgment, ICJ Case No. 192. https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/192
• International Court of Justice. (2024, May 24). Order regarding the request for the modification of the judgment of March 28, 2024, ICJ Case No. 192. https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/ files/case-related/192/192-20240524-ord-01-00-en.pdf
• International Criminal Court. (1998). Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (A/CONF.183/9). https://www.icc-cpi.int/resource-library/documents/rs-eng.pdf
• International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. (1998, September 2). Prosecutor v. Jean-Paul Akayesu, Case No. ICTR-96-4-T, judgment.
• Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I), of 8 June 1977
• Republic of Türkiye. (2024, August 7). Intervention declaration of the Republic of Türkiye, ICJ Case No. 192. International Court of Justice. https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/ case-related/192/192-20240807-int-01-00-en.pdf
• Separate Opinion, Gabcíkovo-Nagymaros Project (Hungary v. Slovakia), judgment, para. 5. International Court of Justice. https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/102/102-20011023-JUD-01-05-EN.pdf
• United Nations. (1948). Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide (Article 2). https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide-convention.shtml
• United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights (G.A. Res. 217 A (III), U.N. Doc. A/810).
• Anadolu Agency. (2024, March 13). Türkiye urges UN to recommend use of force for Gaza, similar to 1950 General Assembly resolution. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/politics/ turkiye-urges-un-to-recommend-use-of-force-for-gaza-similar-to-1950-general-assembly-resolution/3346692
• Anadolu Agency. (n.d.). TANIK – The witness: Expanded and updated (4th ed.). https:// www.aa.com.tr/tr/aa-yayinlari/tanik-the-witness-genisletilmis-ve-guncellenmis-4baski/3485615
• Akande, D. (2024, July 26). Article 63: Intervention before the International Court of Justice – New developments and the way forward. Opinio Juris. https://opiniojuris.org/2024/07/26/article-63-intervention-before-the-international-court-of-justice-new-developments-and-the-way-forward/
• Fabian, E. (2023, October 9). Defense minister announces ‘complete siege’ of Gaza: No power, food or fuel. The Times of Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/ defense-minister-announces-complete-siege-of-gaza-no-power-food-or-fuel/
• Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye (TİHEK). (2024). Human rights violations in Palestine and the Gaza genocide report. https://www.tihek.gov.tr/public/editor/uploads/HA4SVxYn.pdf
• Human Rights Watch. (2023, December 5). Does Israel’s treatment of Palestinians rise to the level of apartheid? https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/05/does-israels-treatment-palestinians-rise-level-apartheid
• Human Rights Watch. (2024, November 14). “Hopeless, starving, and besieged”: Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/11/14/hopeless-starving-and-besieged/israels-forced-displacement-palestinians-gaza
• McIntyre, J. (2022, May 12). The procedural consequences of Article 63 interventions in Ukraine v. Russia before the International Court of Justice. Völkerrechtsblog. https://voelkerrechtsblog.org/less-a-wave-than-a-tsunami/
• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (n.d.). Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts (Protocol I). United Nations. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/protocol-additional-geneva-conventions-12-august-1949-and
• Omaar, R. (2023, October 13). Israeli president Isaac Herzog says Gazans could have risen up to fight ‘evil’ Hamas. ITV News. https://www.itv.com/news/2023-10-13/israeli-president-says-gazans-could-have-risen-up-to-fight-hamas
• Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. (2024, March 22). The World Water Day. https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/post.aspx?lang=en&ItemID=4716
• United Nations Human Rights Council. (2021). Report of the Human Rights Council on its fifty-eighth session (A/HRC/58/CRP.6). United Nations.
• https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session58/a-hrc-58-crp-6.pdf
• United Nations Human Rights Council. (2023, March 28). Afternoon session: Human Rights Council hears that the current Israeli plan to double the settler population in the occupied Syrian Golan by 2027 is unprecedented, and that 700,000 Israeli settlers are living illegally in the occupied West Bank (U.N. Doc. HRC23.048E). United Nations. https://www. un.org/unispal/document/human-rights-council-hears-that-700000-israeli-settlers-are-living-illegally-in-the-occupied-west-bank-meeting-summary-excerpts/
• United Nations Human Rights Council. (2024). Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 (A/79/384). United Nations. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/a79384-report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-palestinian United Nations Security Council. (1967). Resolution 242 (1967). https://digitallibrary. un.org/record/90717?v=pdf
• United Nations. (2023, November 6). Press conference by Secretary-General António Guterres at United Nations Headquarters [Press release]. United Nations. https://press.un.org/ en/2023/sgsm22021.doc.htm
• World Health Organization. (2023, December 21). Lethal combination of hunger and disease to lead to more deaths in Gaza. https://www.who.int/news/item/21-12-2023-lethal-combination-of-hunger-and-disease-to-lead-to-more-deaths-in-gaz