Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan,  Constitutional and International Law Expert. The world is once again witnessing the collapse of the international legal order in real time. The brutal Israeli military campaign in Gaza and its recent cross-border airstrikes on 13th June  2025 on Iran are not isolated events; they represent a consistent pattern of violations of international law carried out with open defiance and disturbing impunity. These developments not only undermine the sovereignty of targeted nations but also erode the fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the broader framework of international humanitarian law.

Israel’s actions directly violate Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Following the October 2023 events, Israel’s military assault on Gaza has escalated into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe. As of June 2025, over 54,321 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health authorities, with more than 70% of them being women and children. The number of injured has surpassed 123,000, and over 10,000 people remain buried under rubble. Massive civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, mosques, and UN shelters, has been obliterated. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only 38% of Gaza’s medical facilities remain partially functional, and critical humanitarian aid continues to be blocked. More than 2,700 children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition, as famine spreads through the besieged territory.

The use of disproportionate force, targeting of civilian areas, destruction of medical and humanitarian infrastructure, and the blockade of essential aid are not only morally indefensible but also legal transgressions under international law. Israel’s actions directly violate Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits willful killing and inhuman treatment of protected persons. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, deliberately targeting civilians and using starvation as a weapon constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The indiscriminate bombings and use of white phosphorus—documented by international observers, including Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders—are stark indicators of a systematic campaign of collective punishment, in violation of customary international humanitarian law.

To make matters worse, in June 2025, Israel launched a series of aggressive airstrikes targeting military and nuclear facilities inside Iran. This operation, reportedly code-named “Rising Lion,” resulted in the deaths of at least 80 Iranian military personnel and scientists and injured over 320. These strikes were not in response to any imminent attack but were preemptive, thus failing to meet the legal threshold for self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. This direct act of aggression against the sovereign territory of another UN member state constitutes a grave breach of international peace and security and violates Article 2(4) of the Charter.

Operation Rising Lion was a preemptive act of aggression, not self-defense.

Iran’s response, which included missile and drone strikes that caused casualties in Israel and collateral damage in the occupied Palestinian territories, has further heightened the risk of a broader regional war. This escalation could have catastrophic consequences not only for the Middle East but also for global peace and economic stability, as oil prices surge and airspace across the region remains on high alert.

Despite these clear and well-documented violations, Israel has not faced any meaningful accountability. The paralysis of the United Nations Security Council, largely due to the political protection extended by some of its permanent members, particularly the United States, has allowed Israel to act with virtual immunity. This continued dysfunction is not just a procedural failure; it is a moral and legal collapse that threatens the credibility of international law itself.

But this impunity need not continue. The international legal system still offers viable paths to accountability if the political will exists. The International Criminal Court must be activated not merely as a forum for symbolic prosecutions but as a serious instrument of justice. Muslim-majority countries, particularly those that are parties to the Rome Statute, must push for expedited prosecutions of Israel’s leadership under the existing Palestine case. Additionally, states with universal jurisdiction laws, such as South Africa, Spain, or Malaysia, can initiate national proceedings, even in absentia, against Israel’s officials for war crimes.

The International Court of Justice must also be utilized beyond advisory opinions. A coalition of states can and should bring a case against Israel under the Genocide Convention, seeking provisional measures to halt further atrocities. The ICJ’s jurisdiction on state responsibility offers an immediate path to demand legal redress. Simultaneously, the UN General Assembly must invoke the “Uniting for Peace” resolution to recommend collective sanctions and diplomatic measures when the Security Council fails due to veto power misuse.

The paralysis of the UN Security Council is a moral and legal collapse.

For the Muslim world, which represents over 1.9 billion people and includes 57 states, the time for reactive rhetoric has passed. A collective and proactive legal, diplomatic, and economic strategy is urgently required. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should immediately convene a Special Legal Summit to establish a Permanent Accountability Council. This body must coordinate international litigation, fund legal teams to represent Palestine and Iran in international forums, and ensure the preservation of evidence for future prosecution.

Economic leverage must also be employed. Muslim states must consider freezing diplomatic ties, suspending trade agreements, and implementing arms embargoes against Israel. At the same time, coordinated engagement with BRICS+, the African Union, and Latin American blocs should be pursued to expand international support. Public diplomacy, through international media, legal think tanks, and global academic institutions, must be intensified to counter disinformation and build momentum for justice.

The Israeli state’s repeated and grave violations of international law, whether in the form of genocide in Gaza or unlawful aggression against Iran, demand more than condemnation. They require decisive action rooted in law, morality, and global conscience. If the world fails to act now, it will send a dangerous message: that international law is negotiable, and that might indeed make right.

A Permanent Accountability Council under the OIC must coordinate global litigation.

The road to justice is difficult, but not impossible. It begins with the collective moral and legal courage to stand for those who can no longer speak for themselves. Muslim countries, and all nations that claim to uphold the rule of law, must now lead with action. Justice delayed in Gaza and Iran is not just justice denied to the victims; it is justice denied to humanity.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.