MOSCOW: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has determined that Israel’s settlement activities in the Palestinian territories violate international law, ICJ President Nawaf Salam announced on Friday.
During the hearing, Salam stated that the UN court had confirmed its jurisdiction to issue an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, noting that it possessed sufficient information on the matter.
Israel’s settlement policy does not comply with its obligations under international law, Salam told the court.
He noted that Israel’s settlement activities in violation of international law continued to expand.
Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is de facto annexation, which violates Palestinians’ rights to self-determination, he added.
The ICJ in The Hague held hearings from February 19-26 on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. During the meetings, more than 50 states and three international organisations — the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union — discussed the issue.
The Palestinian delegation called on the court to declare Israel’s occupation of its territories illegal as it could be the last hope for a two-state solution. - Bernama, Sputnik
