International Justice: The occupation is illegal and Israel must leave the Palestinian territories

The International Court of Justice held a public session on Friday evening at its headquarters, the Peace Palace, in the Dutch city of The Hague, during which it announced its advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967. The President of the Court, Judge Nawaf Salam, read the advisory opinion, which confirmed that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal, and that Israel must end its occupation. He also stressed that Israel, the occupying power, must immediately cease any settlement activity in the territories it occupied in 1967, and remove the settlers from these territories. He stressed that Israel has a duty to compensate the material and moral losses of Palestinian citizens in the occupied territories, and that countries must not recognize the illegal existence of the settlements. He also called on international organizations not to recognize the legitimacy of the status quo and the illegal presence of Israel in the occupied territories, calling on the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council to study additional measures to put an end to Israel's illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories. On 11 November 2022, the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, the Special Committee on Political and Decolonization, adopted a draft resolution submitted by the State of Palestine to request a legal advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on 'the legal consequences arising from Israel's continued violation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at changing the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and how Israel's policies and practices affect the legal status of the occupation and the legal consequences of that status for all States and the United Nations.' On 26 February, t he Court began its deliberations in the case, after hearing public pleadings and briefings over the course of a week from the State of Palestine and 49 Member States of the United Nations: South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Russia, France, Gambia, Guyana, Hungary, China, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Zambia, Spain, the Maldives, Fiji, and the Comoros, and three international organizations: the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the African Union, and the League of Arab States. The Court's announcement of its advisory opinion comes at a time when international legal pressures are increasing on Israel, the occupying power, as it continues its war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip, and its ongoing crimes against our people in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem. Source: Maan News Agency