Statement on Solidarity with Palestine
29 September, 2024
No climate justice without human rights.
At World’s Youth for Climate Justice, we believe in upholding the rule of law, international law, and human rights; therefore, with the strongest affirmation, we stand in solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian people. We call for a lasting cease-fire and justice through a two-state solution for Palestine. There is no peace without justice. As an organisation that stands for climate justice, we are committed to standing in solidarity with all suffering from oppression, occupation, genocide, and any kind of human rights violations.
As an organisation that has a diaspora in almost every corner of the world, we must stand in solidarity, not when it is convenient, but when it is necessary. That is why we are in solidarity with the Palestinian people, the Lebanese people who are under attack, people who experience oppression for standing against the Israeli government’s genocidal policy, and any other victims of grave human rights violations. Because there is no climate justice without human rights.
The ongoing unlawful occupation of the Palestinian Territories by Israel, along with the indiscriminate killings and arbitrary detentions of Palestinian civilians, have been persistent violations of international law for many decades. As we mark a year since the escalation of violence in Gaza began, we reaffirm our commitment to ending these injustices. While these actions must be strongly condemned, it is important to clarify that there is no excuse for the acts of violence committed by Hamas on October 7th, which inter alia included the holding of innocent people hostage, which led to numerous casualties, and which violated international law.
The acts committed by Hamas cannot serve as a blanket justification for genocide or excessive violence. The Israeli counter-attacks, while claiming to target Hamas, have been disproportionate, excessive, and focused on collective punishment rather than the retrieval of hostages, which also constitutes a grave violation of international law.
There is a historically consistent pattern of systematic violence committed by Israel and directed against the Palestinian people; these acts of violence fall within the constituent acts for genocide as established by Article 6 of the Rome Statute and are characteristic of genocidal intent, i.e. the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such”. In addition, the violence committed by Israel as well as the acts perpetrated in relation to the occupation of the Palestinian territory, have inter alia violated international humanitarian law and human rights law, as stated by the International Court of Justice.
In light of the above and as a member of the Climate Action Network and its regional nodes, we align ourselves with the statements made and repeat the rally calls of so many:
End the genocide and all the indiscriminate attacks on Palestinian people.
End the illegal occupation of Palestine immediately to comply with both the UN General Assembly (A/ES-10/L.31/Rev.1) and the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion from July 2024.
Allow full access to humanitarian organizations and facilitate fast and ensure full humanitarian aid to reach all people in Gaza.
Those responsible in Israel and those supporting the regime must be held accountable, including under international criminal law.
All parties involved are expected to respect and comply with the rule of law and all rules of public international law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law.
For all those supporting the illegal acts committed, including through the provision of weapons, to end such support.
Release the civilian hostages taken by Hamas as per UNSC resolutions.
We reaffirm our unwavering opposition to any system of discrimination, exploitation, and colonialism, recognizing that these forces are deeply intertwined with the climate crisis—shaping its causes, amplifying its impacts, and determining whose voices are heard or silenced. True climate justice demands dismantling these systems of oppression and building a world where equity, human rights, and environmental integrity are at the core of our collective action.
We call upon all individuals, institutions, and nations to stand together in rejecting these injustices and to work toward a future that ensures peace, justice, dignity, and safety for all people, everywhere.
In solidarity,
World’s Youth for Climate Justice
