Some have argued that the ICJ ruling on the Gaza genocide proves that international law is a tool of the dominant, too corrupted by the great powers to achieve true justice. But the ICJ offered a way of isolating Israel, and that is a source of hope.

Over the past century more than 20 international commissions have been convened on the question of Palestine, Dr. Lori Allen uses them as the basis for her investigation into Palestinian political history.

On May 27th the UN Human Rights Council voted to establish an ongoing commission of inquiry to report on rights violations in Israel, the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip. While this is very similar to the many commissions that have failed to hold Israel accountable in the past, Lori Allen says this one may be different due to the political context in which it is emerging.