Although Art.51 of the UN Charter clearly stipulates a state's right to self-defense, since the outbreak of the new round of the Israel-Palestine conflict, there has been no consensus on whether Israel has the right to self-defense as stipulated by international law. This Art. provides in-depth thinking and analysis on Israel’s claimed right to self-defense. Based on rules of international law centered around the UN Charter, and referring to relevant resolutions of the UNSC and the General Assembly, as well as the judgments of the ICJ in cases such as Nicaragua v. United States of America, Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda, it concludes that the exercise of the right to self-defense under international law requires the satisfaction of four conditions: the existence of an armed attack, reporting to the UNSC, before the UNSC takes action, and compliance with the principles of necessity and proportionality. It analyzes the two viewpoints of countries that support and oppose Israel’s right to self-defense. It points out that the right to self-defense only applies to relations between states, does not apply to situations of occupation and shall be exercised according to principles on necessity and proportionality. Based on this, it provides a discussion of Israel’s right to self-defense.
Qiyao Li (Mon,) studied this question.