THE HAGUE (Reuters) – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) confirmed on Friday that it had officially received a request from the United Nations General Assembly to give an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
The ICJ is expected to draw up a list of states and organizations that will be able to submit written statements, but the press release did not provide further information on a timeline for that process. In previous advisory opinions, the court has also scheduled hearings, but it is likely to be several months before these can be scheduled.
The ICJ, based in The Hague, also known as the World Court, is the UN’s main court for dealing with disputes between States. Its decisions are binding, although the court has no power to enforce them.
In a move condemned by Israel and welcomed by Palestinians, the General Assembly asked the ICJ last month to give an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the “occupation, settlement and annexation of Israel… , character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem and its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures”.
The UN resolution also asks the ICJ to advise on how these policies and practices “affect the legal status of the occupation” and what legal consequences arise for all countries and the United Nations from that status.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the World Court’s request for an opinion a “despicable decision”.
The last time the ICJ ruled on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians was in 2004, when it ruled that an Israeli separation barrier was illegal. In the same decision, the court judges said that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory “had been established in violation of international law”.
Israel rejected the ruling, accusing the court of being politically motivated.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg)
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