UN Court; Israel Presence In Palestinian Territories Illegal

July 20, 2024 3:57 am

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The top United Nations court says that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian occupied territories is “unlawful” and called on it to end and for settlement construction to stop immediately. Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu quickly denounced the nonbinding opinion issued Friday by the 15-judge panel of the International Court of Justice. But the unprecedented and sweeping condemnation of Israel’s rule over the lands it captured 57 years ago could increase the country’s isolation. Friday’s decision is separate from South Africa’s case saying Israel’s war in Gaza amounts to genocide, a charge Israel vehemently denies.