Israel: Notoriously Criminal
Israel’s extensive record of non-compliance with international legal frameworks, including UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinions and provisional measures, and ceasefire agreements, establishes it as a notoriously criminal state that operates with impunity, systematically defying global norms and obligations. These violations, spanning decades and involving military aggression, territorial annexation, human rights abuses, and breaches of peace agreements, underscore Israel’s status as a lawless, rogue, and pariah state. This essay outlines the total number and most significant instances of non-compliance across these frameworks, with a particular focus on Israel’s refusal to adhere to the 2024 ICJ advisory opinion halting its settlement program and the ICJ’s provisional measures to prevent genocide in Gaza since March 2025, which represent the most blatant and egregious violations of international law in Israel’s history. Additionally, it details notable ceasefire agreements Israel has been accused of violating, reinforcing its utter disregard for the international legal order.
Israel has been accused of violating at least 53 UNSC resolutions from 1955 to 2024, addressing military actions, settlements, and territorial disputes. The following are among the most significant, reflecting the severity of the accusations:
Israel’s non-compliance is evident in its ongoing settlement expansion, failure to withdraw from occupied territories, and persistent military actions despite ceasefire demands, demonstrating a pattern of defiance.
The UNGA has adopted approximately 200 resolutions from 1969 to 2024 accusing Israel of violations, focusing on human rights, settlements, and territorial sovereignty, with 154 resolutions from 2015 to 2023 and 17 in 2024. The most significant include:
Israel’s refusal to halt settlements, withdraw from occupied territories, or address human rights concerns underscores its disregard for global consensus.
Israel has been accused of non-compliance with three ICJ advisory opinions and provisional measures in one contentious case. The most significant are:
Israel’s failure to comply with these rulings and measures highlights its rejection of ICJ authority.
Israel has been accused of violating at least five major ceasefire agreements since 2006, primarily in Gaza and Lebanon, undermining peace efforts. The most notable include:
These violations, often involving military actions and failure to adhere to agreed terms, demonstrate Israel’s disregard for peace commitments.
The 2024 ICJ advisory opinion, issued on July 19, 2024, and adopted as a UNGA resolution on September 18, 2024, declared Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territory (West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza prior to October 2023) unlawful, citing violations of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and prohibitions on annexation and apartheid under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Court highlighted Israel’s settlement expansion, with approximately 24,300 housing units advanced or approved from November 2022 to October 2023, and measures altering Jerusalem’s demographic composition as unlawful acts.
The ICJ mandated Israel to: - Cease all new settlement activities and evacuate settlers. - Withdraw military forces and end administrative measures supporting the occupation. - Make reparations for damages since 1967, including returning land and facilitating displaced persons’ return.
The UNGA resolution, passed with 124 votes in favor, reinforced these obligations, demanding Israel end its “unlawful presence” within a specified timeframe. Israel’s non-compliance is starkly evident. Reports indicate continued settlement construction, with new housing units approved in 2024 and 2025, and no steps toward settler evacuation or military withdrawal. The Israeli government rejected the ICJ opinion as invalid and continued policies expanding settlements and altering East Jerusalem’s status. This defiance, against a near-unanimous ICJ ruling and overwhelming UNGA support, represents one of the most blatant violations in Israel’s history, showcasing an utter disregard for international law and the global consensus on Palestinian self-determination.
In the South Africa v. Israel genocide case, the ICJ issued provisional measures in January, March, and May 2024, and March 2025, ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, ensure humanitarian aid access, and halt military operations, particularly in Rafah. These measures responded to allegations of genocide amid Israel’s military campaign, which resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths and 75,577 injuries by early 2025, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
Since March 2025, Israel’s imposition of a total siege on Gaza, blocking all humanitarian aid, food, water, and medical supplies, constitutes a direct and egregious violation of these measures. The siege has led to widespread famine, with reports of mass starvation and a death toll exceeding 43,000. Israel’s continued airstrikes and ground operations in Rafah and other areas defy the ICJ’s orders to cease actions that could amount to genocidal acts. The April 2024 attack on an aid convoy, killing seven workers, further violates the obligation to facilitate humanitarian access. These actions, in direct defiance of explicit ICJ directives, represent a historic low in Israel’s compliance with international law, contributing to catastrophic humanitarian consequences and undermining global efforts to prevent genocide.
Israel’s systematic non-compliance with 53 UNSC resolutions, 200 UNGA resolutions, three ICJ advisory opinions, provisional measures in the genocide case, and five major ceasefire agreements establishes it as a notoriously criminal state. The refusal to comply with the 2024 ICJ opinion and UNGA resolution halting the settlement program, coupled with the imposition of a genocidal siege on Gaza since March 2025, stands as the most blatant and egregious violations in Israel’s history. These actions, resulting in immense human suffering, territorial annexation, and over 43,000 deaths, position Israel as a rogue state that undermines the international legal order and a pariah state isolated by global condemnation, as evidenced by the UNGA’s overwhelming support for accountability.
Israel’s persistent violations of UNSC and UNGA resolutions, ICJ advisory opinions and provisional measures, and ceasefire agreements reveal a state that operates with utter disregard for international law. The refusal to halt its settlement program, as mandated by the 2024 ICJ opinion and UNGA resolution, and the imposition of a total siege on Gaza since March 2025, defying ICJ measures to prevent genocide, are the most egregious violations in its history. These actions, coupled with repeated breaches of peace agreements, cement Israel’s status as a notoriously criminal, rogue, and pariah state, necessitating urgent international action to enforce accountability and restore justice.