The UN’s international court of justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories “as rapidly as possible” and make full reparations for its “internationally wrongful acts” in a sweeping and damning advisory opinion that says the occupation violates international law.
In a historic, albeit non-binding, opinion, the court found multiple breaches of international law by Israel including activities that amounted to apartheid.
It will make sobering reading for Israel’s allies, with the court advising that other states are under an obligation not to recognise the occupation as lawful nor to aid or assist it.
Reading the court’s opinion on Friday, the president of the ICJ, Nawaf Salam, said: “The court considers that the violations by Israel of the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force and of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination have a direct impact on the legality of the continued presence of Israel, as an occupying power, in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power, through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the occupied Palestinian territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.”
The opinion was provided in response to a request from the UN general assembly in 2022. It precedes the Gaza
conflict and is not directly linked to it but will add to the pressure
on Israel – and its allies – to bring an end to its military offensive,
in which it has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to the
Gaza health ministry.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/19/israels-settlement-policies-break-international-law-court-finds?CMP=share_btn_url
[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]
The ICJ Ruling Confirms What Palestinians Have Been Saying for 57 Years
Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, a form of apartheid, and must end, says the U.N.’s high court at The Hague.
The United Nation’s top court filed a ruling Friday that echoed what Palestinian advocates have been saying for decades: Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, including its settlements in the West Bank, is illegal and must end.
The International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion also called for
reparations for Palestinians who have lived under Israel’s occupation
since it began in 1967, an unprecedented step for the court. The court
also notably declared Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians to be a form
of segregation and apartheid. It further ruled that nations cannot
offer aid in support of the illegal occupation without violating
international law, and upheld the Palestinians’ right to
self-determination.
Advisory opinions from the ICJ are not
legally binding and cannot, in itself, force a country to act. But their
legal and moral weight can have significant influence on countries’
decisions and foreign policy.... READ MORE https://theintercept.com/2024/07/19/icj-ruling-palestine-israel-occupation-settlements/
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