Palestinian foreign minister accuses Israel of apartheid, calls for the U.N.’s top court to end Israeli control over Gaza & the West Bank
The United Nations’ highest court opens hearings with the Palestinian representative into the legality of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, plunging the 15 international judges back into the heart of the decades-long conflict.
Summary / Overview
Press review: Israel in dock again with new ICJ hearings
Vedomosti: Hearings in new ICJ lawsuit put Israel in dock once again
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has opened hearings against the Israeli government in a new lawsuit filed by the UN General Assembly over the occupation of Palestinian territories. Tel Aviv does not recognize the jurisdiction of the court, which can only hand down a non-binding advisory opinion.
The UN’s top court began considering a lawsuit on February 19 that challenges the legitimacy of Israel’s control over the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The hearings were initiated at the request of the UN General Assembly, which filed a motion asking the court to assess the legal consequences of Tel Aviv’s actions in the occupied territories since 1967. Representatives from 51 countries and three international organizations will testify in court and the hearings will continue until February 26.