The UN Supreme Court ruled in a non-binding judgment on Friday that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories violates international law.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel is in fact guilty of annexation through its settlement policy.
Although the decision is not legally binding, it is expected to increase international political pressure on Israel. The decision came from the 15 highest UN judges in The Hague, where the court is based.
A record 52 states filed arguments with the court.
In 2022, the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to determine the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the territories, long before the start of the war between Israel and Hamas that broke out last October.
During the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel took control of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
Israel left Gaza in 2005, but still controls the coastal area’s land and sea borders, as well as its airspace.
The number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, which lies between the Israeli heartland and Jordan, has now risen to around half a million. Including East Jerusalem, the number is as high as 700,000.
This is the second legal ruling by the court on Israel’s occupation policy. Twenty years ago, in July 2004, the judges had already declared that the wall built by Israel in the West Bank was in violation of international law and therefore had to be dismantled. Israel has not complied with this ruling.
The opinion presented Friday is separate from another case before the UN court. In 2023, South Africa sued Israel, accusing it of genocide over attacks on the Gaza Strip. Israel disputes the charges.
