[News] ICJ rules Israeli occupation of Palestinian land illegal, orders evacuation of settlements

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 ICJ rules Israeli occupation of Palestinian land illegal, orders
evacuation of settlements

The landmark case at the World Court requires Israel to cease all new
settlement activities and evacuate all Jewish settlers from the occupied
Palestinian territories

News Desk <https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9>

JUL 19, 2024 -
https://thecradle.co/articles/icj-rules-israeli-occupation-of-palestinian-land-illegal-orders-evacuation-of-settlements
Two demonstrators wave the Palestinian flag outside the Peace Palace, rear,
housing the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague.
(Photo credit: AP/Peter Dejong)

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued
<https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/186/186-20240719-pre-01-00-en.pdf>
its advisory opinion on 19 July ruling that Israel’s occupation and
policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, namely the West Bank,
East Jerusalem, and Gaza, are illegal under interntional law.

ICJ President Nawaf Salam stated
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/icj-opinion-israels-occupation-upends-order-oppresses-palestinians>:
“The sustained abuse of 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.”

In addition to ruling that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied
territories is unlawful, the court stated that Israel is under an
obligation to bring its presence there to an end as soon as possible.

The ruling added that Israel must immediately cease all new settlement
activities and evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian
territories.

Further, the State of Israel must make reparation for the damage caused to
Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The court ruled as well that the UN and its member states have an
obligation not to recognize Israel’s occupation as legal and must not
provide Israel assistance in maintaining the occupation.

Finally, the court ruled that the UN, including the General Assembly and
the Security Council, should consider steps to bring Israel’s illegal
occupation of Palestinian territory to an end as soon as possible.

In its ruling, the court affirmed previous UN resolutions stating that it
is illegal under international law to acquire territory by force and change
conquered territory by transferring a foreign population within its borders
for settlement.

The Israeli army conquered and occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and
Gaza in 1967. Since that time, Israel has continued its military rule over
Palestinians while confiscating occupied Palestinian land to build
settlements for Israeli Jews.

Israel argued that its occupation of Palestinian territory was legal
because it was temporary and would be resolved through future negotiations
with the Palestinians while ensuring such negotiations were never completed.

At the same time, Israel has successfully settled over 700,000 Israeli Jews
in the occupied Palestinian territories over the past six decades. Israel
hoped that the presence of such large numbers of settlers would make it
practically impossible to return the stolen territory to Palestinians,
regardless of international law, and instead allow it to be annexed to
Israel in the future.

After the military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, launched Operation
Al-Aqsa Flood to attack Israeli army bases and settlements surrounding Gaza
in October, the Palestinian issue has again become a priority of the
international community.

In December, South Africa brought a separate case against Israel at the
ICJ. The case accuses Israel of breaching the genocide convention through
its attack on Gaza, which has now killed at least 38,000 Palestinians,
displaced some 90 percent of its 2.3 million inhabitants, and destroyed
large swathes of the besieged enclave.
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