Palestinian UN ambassador urges support for ICC to end impunity
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Loureen Sayej, diplomat and legal advisor at the Mission of the State of Palestine to the UN, said that “war criminals should be the ones sanctioned,” while prosecutors, judges and UN personnel pursuing justice “must be shielded and protected.” She added, "War criminals should not be celebrated or welcomed, and victims of atrocity crimes should not be punished for seeking the justice they deserve."
Sayej hailed the ICC’s arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as “the beginning of a path to end Israeli impunity,” noting that the court “applied the law” and “did its part to hold perpetrators of crimes accountable.” She emphasized, “The verdict is not a Palestinian verdict but a universal one, a legal one.”
The envoy accused Israeli officials of operating with impunity for more than seven decades, citing “illegal occupation, annexation, torture, settlements, apartheid, systematic killings and mass confinement” and alleging that they are “betting they will get away with genocide.” She said, "For 77 years, not a single Israeli official was held accountable for the crimes against the Palestinian people. Where do we go if not to the ICC? But we will not allow it."
Sayej urged the international community and ICC member states to support Palestinian civil society and ensure victims have access to justice. “The State of Palestine will continue cooperating with the ICC for the sake of all victims and for the sake of international justice,” she added.
Earlier on Tuesday, ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane addressed the UN General Assembly, calling on member states to fulfill their obligations under the Rome Statute and assist in executing outstanding arrest warrants. Presenting the ICC’s 2025 Annual Report, Akane noted that 33 publicly known arrest warrants remain unexecuted.
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