A new investigation reveals that nearly half of Israel’s crude oil imports have been delivered after a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January.
Legal experts have warned that countries responsible for supplying oil and fuel to Israel could be complicit in war crimes committed in Gaza.
The research, commissioned by the nonprofit organization Oil Change International (OCI), uncovered a “persistent and expanded supply of oil fueling the ongoing genocide in Israel,” with an increasing number of countries that are signatories to the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions being implicated in the delivery of crude and refined petroleum products since October.
Israel heavily relies on these shipments to power its fighter jets, tanks, and military vehicles in its assault on Gaza, as well as to fuel bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes in the West Bank.
OCI researchers tracked 65 shipments of oil and fuel to Israel between October 21st of last year and July 12th. They found that these countries collectively supplied Israel with 4.1 million tons of crude oil since the start of the war in Gaza.
Almost half of the exports were delivered after the ICJ’s decision in January, which ordered Israel to cease genocidal actions in Gaza and warned that its allies risk facing charges of “complicity in genocide” if they continue to support the country.
In the ICJ’s advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, issued in July, the court also concluded that all states are “obligated not to assist” in maintaining Israel’s occupation.
The research revealed that nearly 80% of United States (U.S.) exports of jet fuel, diesel, and other refined petroleum products to Israel were shipped after the ICJ’s ruling.
While Azerbaijan remains the leading supplier of crude oil to Israel, Italy, Albania, and Greece have also delivered unrefined oil to the country following the ruling.
The report also identified an increase in African supplies. Gabon continues to be a major supplier of crude oil to Israel, with shipments now also coming from Nigeria and the Congo.
Meanwhile, Brazil has been responsible for 9% of crude oil shipments to Israel since October 7th and sent a fuel tanker to Israel in April.
The report suggests that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, could potentially drive a ceasefire by imposing an oil embargo.
OCI’s analysis also highlighted the role of corporations in supplying fuel to Israel since the ruling, revealing that just six major international fossil fuel companies – BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies – could be responsible for 35% of the crude oil delivered to Israel since October, Forbes writes.
E.Dz.
