The International Court of Justice - the UN’s top court - has called on Israel to end its ‘unlawful’ presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
International reaction has poured in since a ruling by the top United Nations court that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should swiftly be brought to an end.
According to Al Jazeera, Palestinian officials have hailed the International Court of Justice ruling as a “watershed moment” in their decades-long fight for justice. Israel quickly condemned Friday’s decision, while its top ally the United States criticized the ruling on Saturday after initial silence.
The world’s highest court concluded on Friday – with 12-3 judges in favor – that Israel is forcibly displacing Palestinians from their lands, exploiting water sources, annexing large swaths of the occupied territory “by force” and is violating the right of Palestinians to “self-determination”.
The ICJ also ruled that Israel must stop all building of settlements in the West Bank and should compensate Palestinians for human rights violations in the occupied territory.
The ruling is a non-binding advisory opinion, which was sought by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, seeking to clarify the legal implications of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.
The ICJ called on the UN – especially the Security Council and General Assembly – to take action to bring Israel’s unlawful occupation to a “rapid” end.
While nonbinding, the advisory ruling by the 15 judges found that Israel has no right to sovereignty over the occupied territory, has violated international laws against acquiring territory by force and is blocking Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
The following are coverage by some of the media outlets in different countries in the world in reaction to the ICJ ruling:
According to the BBC, the court's advisory opinion is not legally binding but still carries significant political weight. It marks the first time the ICJ has delivered a position on the legality of the 57-year occupation.
The world top court further determined countries are obligated not to “render aid or assistance in maintaining” Israel’s presence in the territory.
The French le Monde, for its part, reported the news on the ICJ decision, writing that, "The case was referred to the ICJ by the UN General Assembly in December 2022. The judges declared the Israeli occupation 'unlawful' and reiterated the Palestinians' unconditional 'right to self-determination.'
The French journal further wrote that "Sovereignty and self-determination: These words resounded on Friday, July 19, in the monumental courtroom of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague."
The Chinese CGTN news network also covered the news on the ICJ ruling on the illegality of Israel's occupation of Palestine, saying that "Israeli forces bombed parts of central Gaza on Friday, killing at least eight Palestinians in the Al-Nuseirat camp area on the same day the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Israel's occupation of Palestine illegal."
Israel's aerial and tank shelling of central Gaza has intensified in the past week, killing dozens. Residents said the Israeli army blew up dozens of homes there in the past three days.
Russia Today was yet another English media outlet that covered the news writing on its website that, "Israel’s construction of settlements on Palestinian land violates the Geneva Convention and amounts to a policy of “de-facto annexation,” the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared."
Turkish news network TRT also wrote on its website "top UN court's opinion underlines Israel's military and settler presence in occupied Palestinian territory has "zero valid" legal basis, and supporting settlement policies and violence in these areas is unacceptable."
The Egyptian Ahram Online also covered the news on Palestine saying in a piece of news that "The ICJ's ruling is not binding, but it comes amid mounting concern over the mounting civilian death toll and destruction in Israel's war on Gaza, as well as increased violence against Palestinians in the West Bank."
MNA