UN court rules that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal

The top UN court declared on Friday that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian occupied territories is “unlawful” and called for an immediate cessation of settlement construction, condemning Israel’s control over the lands it captured 57 years ago.

In a non-binding opinion, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) cited various policies, including the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, exploitation of natural resources, annexation, and discriminatory policies against Palestinians, all of which it stated violate international law.

The 15-judge panel asserted that Israel's “abuse of its status as the occupying power" renders its “presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.” It emphasised that Israel’s continued presence is “illegal” and should be ended “as rapidly as possible.” According to the 83-page opinion read by court President Nawaf Salam, Israel must cease settlement construction immediately, and existing settlements must be dismantled.

Israel, which frequently views the United Nations and international tribunals as biased, did not send a legal team to the hearings. However, it submitted written comments, arguing that the questions posed to the court were prejudiced and did not consider Israeli security concerns. Israeli officials have claimed that the court's involvement could undermine the peace process, which has been stagnant for over a decade.

In response to the ruling, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the West Bank and east Jerusalem are part of the Jewish people's historical “homeland.” He stated on social media, “The Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land – not in our eternal capital Jerusalem and not in the land of our