As widely expected, the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Friday labeled Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria as “unlawful.”
Although the ruling is non-binding, it is expected to put further pressure on Israel in the diplomatic arena.
The ruling, read by Lebanese Judge Nawaf Salam, president of the court, said Israel was obligated to bring an end to its “illegal occupation,” “evacuate settlers,” and make reparations to the Palestinian people. The ruling also called on the UN Security Council and General Assembly to consider “further measures,” and for international organizations not to “recognize or aid” Israeli activities in Judea and Samaria.
Reacting to the ruling, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land, including in our eternal capital Jerusalem nor in Judea and Samaria, our historical homeland. No absurd opinion in The Hague can deny this historical truth or the legal right of Israelis to live in their own communities in our ancestral home.”
The case was referred to the ICJ by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 when it formally requested an advisory opinion.