International Court of Justice hearings about the legal consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Netanyahu brought the “declaratory decision” to a vote in cabinet, which unanimously approved the measure, according to a statement. Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly meeting that the move comes after “recent talk in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally impose on Israel a Palestinian state.”
Six days of hearings are scheduled at the International Court of Justice, during which an unprecedented number of countries will participate, as Israel continues its devastating assault on Gaza.
Though the case occurs against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war, it focuses instead on Israel’s open-ended occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.
Palestinian representatives, who speak first on Monday, will argue that the Israeli occupation is illegal because it has violated three key tenets of international law, the Palestinian legal team told reporters on Wednesday.
The International Court of Justice opens hearing arguments on the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. It is the first time the world’s highest court has been asked to give an advisory opinion on the issue, which has been the subject of years of debates and resolutions at the United Nations.
The I.C.J., based in The Hague, was established by the U.N. Charter in 1945 to rule on issues of international law and settle disputes among nations. Only states can bring cases before the court. All countries belonging to the United Nations are automatically members of the court and are expected to accept its jurisdiction.
Opening statements and arguments can be viewed below, as released by the Court's office.
Opening oral arguments:
Monday 19 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings
Tuesday 20 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Belgium
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 3 p.m.-5.10 p.m. – Belize, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile
Wednesday 21 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and United States of America
Wednesday 21 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 3 p.m.-5.40 p.m. – Russian Federation, France, The Gambia, Guyana and Hungary
Thursday 22 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – China, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan and Jordan
Thursday 22 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 3 p.m.-6.10 p.m. – Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Mauritius
Friday 23 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – Namibia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia and Qatar
Friday 23 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 3 p.m.-6.10 p.m. – United Kingdom, Slovenia, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria and Tunisia
Monday 26 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – Türkiye, Zambia, League of Arab States, Organisation for Islamic Cooperation and Africa Union
Monday 26 February 2024
Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – Public hearings – 3 p.m.-6.10 p.m. – Spain, Fiji and Maldives
More Resources
Educational Resources:
Information abou the ongoing conflict can be found on the PALESTINE IN CONTEXT Project, a resource sponsored by academic centers of studies in more than 20 universities.
The UN-sponsored study on the Legality of the Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory is linked here: UN Study
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