UN top court declares Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory ‘illegal’.
The UN’s top court said Friday that Israel has illegally occupied Palestinian territories and must end it “as rapidly as possible”.
“The court has found that Israel’s continued presence in the Palestinian Territories is illegal,” International Court of Justice presiding judge Nawaf Salam said, adding: “Israel must end the occupation as rapidly as possible.”
Israel has violated international laws by adopting corrupt policies in its occupation of Palestinian territories, the United Nations’ top court said in its landmark opinion.
The court said Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as “the regime associated with them” were established and are being maintained in violation of international law.
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It further maintained that Israel systematically discriminates against Palestinians in the occupied territories and called the occupation of the territories “de facto annexation,” and that Israel’s exploitation of natural resources in the Palestinian territories likewise violates international law.
Israel’s “unlawful policies and practices” were “in breach of Israel’s obligation to respect the right of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” the court said.
As UN top court declares Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory ‘illegal’, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is examining the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories based on a request from the United Nations General Assembly in January 2023.
BREAKING: International Court of Justice says Israel has “obligation” to bring end to its presence in occupied Palestinian territory “as rapidly as possible”.
The UN’s top court issued a landmark opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian… pic.twitter.com/iiXEcp1dLN
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This request predates the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The UN asked the ICJ to provide an advisory opinion on Israeli policies and practices towards Palestinians and the legal status of the occupation in areas such as the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.
Although the court’s advisory opinion is not legally binding, but it could have a significant political impact as Israel faces mounting backlash and isolation over its deadly offensive in Gaza, where nearly 39,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed since the war began, according to local health officials.
