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ICJ: Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal

2024-07-19 22:40:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

ICJ: Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal

The panel of judges of the ICJ during the opinion on the occupied Palestinian territories. July 19, 2024. Source, AFP

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on July 19 that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is "illegal", calling for an immediate end to settlement building.

This is an unprecedented sentence issued by the ICJ, related to Israel's rule over the lands that it rested 57 years ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately condemned the opinion - which is not legally binding - issued by a panel of 15 ICJ judges. He said that the territories are part of the historical "homeland" of the Jewish people.

The opinion issued by the ICJ judges could influence international opinion and spur movements for the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

The judges cited a long list of policies, including the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, the use of natural resources in these areas, the annexation and establishment of permanent land control and discriminatory policies against Palestinians. All this, the judges said, constitutes a violation of international law.

The court said that Israel has no right of sovereignty in these territories. He also said that the state is violating international laws, which prohibit the taking of territories by force, and he also accused Israel of obstructing the Palestinians' right to self-determination. The ICJ said that other states are obliged to "give assistance" to Israel to maintain its presence in the Palestinian territories. Israel must also immediately end settlement construction, while existing settlements must leave, said the more than 80-page summary of the opinion, which was read by the court's president, Nawaf Salam.

Israel's "abuse of its status as an occupying power" makes its "presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories illegal," the court said, adding that Israel's presence must end "as soon as possible." .

The court's opinion, which was requested by the United Nations General Assembly at the request of the Palestinians, comes as Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas - the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union - attacked Israel on October 7, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping nearly 250 others. As a result of the Israeli offensive, more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.

The ICJ is also handling a separate case brought by South Africa which alleges that Israel's military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide. But such an accusation is denied by Israel.

Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip during the Middle East War in 1967. The Palestinians want to establish their own independent state in these three areas in the future.

Israel considers the West Bank a disputed territory whose future must be decided through negotiations, as it has displaced the population in the settlements it has built there. Israel has annexed East Jerusalem, but this move is not recognized internationally, while in 2005 it withdrew from the Gaza Strip. In 2007, Hamas took control of this territory.

The international community generally considers the three areas as occupied territories./ REL