Leading scholar outlines the grave international crimes committed against Palestinians
The Faculty of Laws at University College London (UCL) hosted an academic event titled:
“As Bad as it Gets in International Law for the Palestinian People”
on 20 November 2025, held at the Denys Holland Lecture Theatre, bringing together students, researchers, and specialists in international law and Middle Eastern affairs.
The lecture was delivered by Professor Ralph Wilde, Professor of International Law at UCL, with an opening introduction by Professor Izzat Darwazeh. The event examined the severe and systematic violations committed against the Palestinian people under international law, including:
- Aggression
- Genocide
- Apartheid
- Racism and discriminatory policies
- Denial of the right to self-determination
- Crimes against humanity
- War crimes and torture
Professor Wilde emphasised that the situation facing the Palestinian people represents one of the gravest crises in modern international law, with Israel continuing to perpetrate documented violations while international institutions fail to enforce accountability. He stressed that the international legal system is being tested as never before, with prolonged impunity enabling the continuation of atrocities.
Drawing on his extensive academic and legal background, Professor Wilde highlighted his experience serving as counsel and advisor in multiple cases before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) relating to Palestine. He also referenced his scholarly work on the illegality of Israel’s occupation, contributing to key publications such as the Palestine Yearbook of International Law and the Journal of the History of International Law.
Professor Wilde further discussed his involvement in legal submissions for the Arab League in the 2024 ICJ Advisory Opinion on the consequences of Israel’s occupation, as well as his recent work advising Bolivia in the 2025 proceedings before the ICJ concerning Israel’s obligations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The lecture underscored that the crimes committed against the Palestinian population are not isolated incidents but a structured policy amounting to state-led persecution, requiring urgent legal action at the international level. Growing global recognition of Israel’s actions as constituting apartheid and potentially genocide was highlighted as a critical shift that must translate into concrete accountability.
The event concluded with a call for academics, legal practitioners, and human-rights advocates to intensify efforts to document violations, pursue international accountability mechanisms, and support the Palestinian people’s struggle for justice and fundamental rights.
