ICJ declares Israel's presence in Palestinian territory unlawful

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should end "as rapidly as possible."

Nawaf Salam, president of the ICJ in The Hague, delivered the nonbinding advisory opinion issued by the 15-judge panel on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory on Friday.

The judges highlighted a range of Israeli policies – including the building and expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the exploitation of the area's natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands, and discriminatory policies against Palestinians – all of which they stated violated international law.

The court declared that Israel has no right to sovereignty over the territories, is violating international laws against acquiring territory by force, and is impeding Palestinians' right to self-determination.

It emphasised that other nations are obliged not to "render aid or assistance in maintaining" Israel's presence in the territory.

Furthermore, the court stated that Israel must cease settlement construction immediately and remove existing settlements, according to a summary of the more than 80-page opinion read out by Salam.

The ICJ asserted that Israel's "abuse of its status as the occupying power" renders its "presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful." "Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law," the court said.

The opinion of the ICJ was sought in a 2022 request from the United Nations General Assembly.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the highest UN body for adjudicating disputes between states.