The United Nations’ highest court ruled that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories was “unlawful.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) called for an immediate halt to settlement construction and the removal of existing settlements, the Associated Press reported on Friday.
In a comprehensive denouncement, the ICJ captured Israel’s policies in Palestinian territories over the past 57 years.
In a non-binding opinion released on Friday, the 15-judge panel detailed a range of Israeli practices that the court considered as illegal. The list included settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The court equally cited the exploitation of natural resources, and discriminatory measures against Palestinians, all of which were deemed violations of international law.
The ICJ stated that Israel’s “abuse of its status as the occupying power” makes its “presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful,” emphasizing that this presence should be ended “as rapidly as possible.”
The opinion, read by court President Nawaf Salam, spans 83 pages and stresses the need for Israel to dismantle its settlements immediately.
Israel did not send representatives to the hearings but submitted written comments. The country has repeatedly accused the United Nations and international of bias.
In the written comments, Israel claims that the court’s questions were prejudiced and neglected Israeli security concerns.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by invoking the historical claims of the Jewish people to the West Bank and east Jerusalem, labeling the ICJ’s decision as a “false” one that would not alter the “historical truth” or the legality of Israeli settlements.
The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land, including in our eternal capital Jerusalem nor in Judea and Samaria, our historical homeland. No absurd opinion in the Hague can deny this historical truth or the legal right of Israelis to live in their own communities in…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 19, 2024
The ruling comes at a time when Israel’s war on Gaza enters its 10 month. Since the start of the war on October 7, exceeded 38,800.
While ICJ’s opinion is not legally binding, it has significant potential to alter the international community’s stance on the conflict.
This is not the first time the ICJ has addressed Israeli policies. Twenty years ago, it ruled against Israel’s West Bank separation barrier, describing it as contrary to international law.
Over 100 settlements have been built in the West Bank, housing more than 500,000 Israelis, with East Jerusalem housing another 200,000. The international community views these settlements as illegal or obstacles to peace.