The ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal renews hope that truth will prevail and Palestinians will finally get justice. In its non-binding advisory opinion, The Hague-based court found that Israel was “under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers” from the occupied land.
“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,” President Nawaf Salam said, reading the findings of a 15-judge panel on Friday. The court said Israel’s obligations include paying restitution for harm and “the evacuation of all settlers from existing settlements.”
The ruling gives the Palestinian narrative legitimacy and credibility in the face of ongoing attempts and schemes by the Israeli occupation to obscure the nature and origin of the conflict, aiming to tighten its grip on the occupied Palestinian territories. It affirms the illegality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967. The ICJ ruling comes in response to a UN General Assembly query in 2022 regarding the legal consequences of Israel’s “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967”.
The ruling was welcomed by Qatar, the GCC, the Arab League and a number of countries and human rights organisations. Qatar said Israel is obligated to end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that the ICJ ruling covers the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, noting that the court recognised these areas as a single territorial unit, whose unity, coherence, and integrity must be preserved and respected.
The ministry reiterated Qatar’s support for the court’s stance and called on all states and international organisations to refrain from recognising or supporting Israel’s illegal actions. It said the advisory opinion reflected that the principles of international law must be respected, urging all countries to act immediately to implement the court’s opinion unconditionally.
Several countries called on the international community to pressure Israel in the wake of ‘watershed’ opinion by the top UN court. Saudi Arabia said there is the need to take practical and credible steps to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, while Turkiye stressed the global community is obliged to take a firm and resolute stance to put an end to Israel’s illegal practices. South Africa said the ruling affirms its’s long-standing position that the occupation by Israel remains unlawful under international law.
The global community must ensure that Israel abides by the ICJ ruling at the soonest.
