Next week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967, a case in which about 52 countries have submitted their memoranda.
Although any opinion issued by the United Nations’ highest judicial body is not binding, it comes amid increasing international legal pressure on Israel regarding the war in Gaza, which erupted after an unprecedented attack by Hamas in southern Israel.
The Court announced on Friday, “A public session will be held at the Peace Palace in The Hague (on July 19)… during which Judge Nawaf Salam… will read the advisory opinion.” The court held hearings in February, where 52 countries presented their views on the Israeli occupation following a request from the United Nations. On December 31, 2022, the UN General Assembly asked the ICJ for an advisory opinion on “the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.”
The United States emphasized that Israel should not be legally compelled to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories without receiving security guarantees.
Speakers warned that the prolonged occupation poses a “severe risk” to stability in the Middle East and beyond. Israel did not participate in the hearings but submitted a text on July 24, 2023, urging the Court to refuse issuing an opinion on the case.
In June 1967, Israel fought a war with its Arab neighbors that lasted six days, during which it occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. Cairo later regained Sinai following a peace agreement with Israel in 1979. This case is separate from another case brought by Pretoria to the ICJ against Israel, accusing it of committing acts of genocide in its attack on Gaza. The ICJ ruled in the mentioned case on January 26 that Israel must do everything possible to prevent genocide and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, without going as far as ordering a ceasefire. The court also called for the “unconditional” release of hostages held by Hamas during the October 7 attack
