Israel’s continuous presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal, according to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and it should terminate “as rapidly as possible.”
The 15-judge panel’s nonbinding advisory decision on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory was read out by Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, on Friday.
The judges cited a long list of actions that they claimed broke international law, including the establishment and growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the exploitation of the region’s natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands, and discriminatory measures against the Palestinian people.
The court ruled that Israel is undermining the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, has no right to sovereignty over the territories, and is breaking international law prohibiting the acquisition of land by force.
According to it, foreign countries had an obligation to refrain from “rendering aid or assistance in maintaining” Israel’s presence in the region. A summary of the more than 80-page opinion handed out by Salam stated that Israel must immediately cease development of new settlements and evacuate any existing ones.
The court declared that Israel’s “presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful” due to its “abuse of its status as the occupying power.”
The West Bank and East Jerusalem Israeli settlements, along with the government that supports them, have been founded and are being maintained in violation of international law, the court declared.
The United Nations General Assembly requested the court’s opinion in 2022.
The World Court, or International Court of Justice, is the highest UN tribunal for adjudicating conflicts between states.
During a 1967 conflict, Israel took control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem—regions of ancient Palestine that the Palestinians desire to become a state. Since then, it has constructed and progressively expanded the number of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. It also created settlements in Gaza prior to its 2005 withdrawal.
The Palestinian land is regarded as Israeli-occupied by the UN and the great majority of the international world.