The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and must end “as soon as possible”.
Nawaf Salam, president of the ICJ in The Hague, read a non-binding advisory opinion on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory on Friday.
He said Israel had violated Article 49, paragraph 6 of the Geneva Convention, which states that an occupying power must not expel or relocate any part of the civilian population to occupied territory.
“Israeli settlements and the regime associated with them in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were established and are maintained in violation of international law,” Salam said, reading the findings of a 15-judge panel.
He added that Israel’s policies and practices in the Palestinian territories amount to annexing large parts of those territories, and that the court found that Israel systematically discriminates against Palestinians in the occupied territories.
The case stems from a request by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, is the highest UN organ that adjudicates disputes between nations.
Israel has been building and steadily expanding settlements in the West Bank since capturing the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem – historic Palestinian territories where the Palestinians seek to create a state – in the 1967 war.
The United Nations and most of the international community consider the Palestinian territories to be occupied by Israel.
Human rights lawyer Jeffrey Nice told Al Jazeera that even if the ICJ’s ruling is not binding, it would be difficult for world leaders to completely “ignore” it.
“It’s part of the legal system, it’s about saying enough is enough,” he said.
He also said it would be “difficult for an interested, informed and concerned public not to say, ‘It is time for Israel to get its house in order.'”
“This ruling could very well support an international movement to impose more sanctions and pressure on Western governments to put more pressure on Israel in the West and around the world,” said Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Maliki told reporters in The Hague that the ruling was “a watershed moment for Palestine, justice and international law.”
“With this historic ruling, the ICJ has fulfilled its legal and moral obligations,” he said. “All states now have a clear obligation: no support, no aid, no complicity, no money, no weapons, no trade, no anything, no action of any kind whatsoever, that supports the illegal occupation of Israel.”
Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said the ruling was a “significant step” toward ending the occupation and achieving the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, including self-determination, statehood and the right of return.
He said his team would study the entire 140-page ruling and “analyze every sentence.”
“We will consult with the United Nations and many friends around the world,” he said, adding, “We will produce a masterpiece resolution at the UN General Assembly.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the comments as “fundamentally wrong” and one-sided.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement calling the ruling a “decision of lies” that distorted the truth and insisted “the Jews did not occupy their land.”
In a separate case brought by South Africa, the ICJ is considering claims that Israel is committing genocide in its war in the Gaza Strip.
A preliminary ruling has already been issued in the case, with the court ordering Israel to prevent and punish acts of incitement to genocide and to increase humanitarian aid.
The ICJ also ordered Israel to stop its offensive against Rafah, citing the “grave danger” to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have taken refuge in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. However, Israel continued its offensive against the Gaza Strip, including Rafah, in defiance of the UN court order.
