
United Nations Court: Israel Is Occupying Palestinian Territories Illegally
HuffPost
Israel is extensively violating international law, the International Court of Justice concluded in an advisory opinion ― separate from the Gaza war genocide case.
The United Nations’ top court on Friday said Israel is illegally occupying the Palestinian regions it has controlled since 1967 and must end its presence in them — a landmark statement that boosts momentum for a change in Israeli policy.
The court found that Israel is committing major violations of international law, including “de facto annexation” of occupied land and breaking the global prohibition against racial discrimination and apartheid. It concluded that Israel should take steps like making reparations to affected Palestinians and evacuating settlers.
The advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) covers Israeli practices in the occupied West Bank, in East Jerusalem (which Israel claims as its own territory) and in the Gaza Strip.
The opinion is non-binding and has no immediate consequences.
The ICJ previously issued an opinion in 2004 saying Israel’s construction of a “separation wall” in the West Bank was illegal, yet the wall is still standing 20 years later.