Israel has annexed Palestinian territories for 60 years, UN judges have ruled in a report. The Palestinians are celebrating the decision. But will there be consequences?
The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, according to the highest UN court. Israel’s settlement policy in the occupied territories also violates international law. Israel is in fact guilty of annexation, the International Court of Justice in The Hague found in a legal opinion. The country must end the occupation “as soon as possible,” said Judge Nawaf Salam. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the verdict as a “lying decision.”
“Historic verdict” for Palestine
The Palestinian side welcomed the UN court’s decision. It was a “great day for Palestine,” said Palestinian Authority Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Warsen Aghabekian Shahin on Friday.
The UN’s highest court has “presented a very detailed analysis of what is happening through Israel’s continued occupation and settlement of Palestinian territory in violation of international law,” Aghabekian told the AFP news agency. The Palestinian presidency spoke of a “historic” decision and demanded “that Israel be forced to implement it.”
Netanyahu said after the court’s decision that the Jewish people are “not occupiers in their own land” – neither in “our eternal capital Jerusalem” nor in the “heritage of our ancestors”, referring to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. “No lying decision in The Hague will distort this historical truth, nor can the legality of Israeli settlements in all parts of our homeland be disputed,” stressed the Israeli head of government.
Court should clarify occupation question in the West Bank
The report is not legally binding, but it is expected to further increase international political pressure on Israel. This has recently increased considerably due to Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Israel is fighting the Islamist Hamas there following the terrorist attack in early October that left hundreds dead. The war has serious consequences for the civilian population.
The UN General Assembly had commissioned the court to clarify the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation policy, which has lasted for almost 60 years. This was long before the Gaza war began. But Western critics of Israel can now see themselves as having the strength to persuade Israel to withdraw and agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israel has ignored legal opinions for 20 years
Israel occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967. The Palestinians, however, claim these areas for their own state. Israel left Gaza in 2005, but continues to control its land, sea and air borders.
It is the second legal opinion of the Court on Israel’s occupation policy. 20 years ago, in July 2004, the judges had already declared that the wall built by Israel in the West Bank violated international law and therefore had to be torn down. But Israel did not comply.
The report presented today is independent of the other proceedings before the UN court. South Africa brought Israel before the court in 2023, accusing the country of genocide because of its attacks on the Gaza Strip. Israel denies these allegations.
Note: This post has been updated.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
