Can Palestinians expect changes after ICJ ruling on Israel’s occupation?
Al Jazeera
The ICJ’s ruling that the occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful is a sign of increasing Israeli isolation.
The International Court of Justice’s ruling last week against Israel is just the latest sign of the growing public pressure the country faces amid its ongoing war on Gaza.
But the case predated the war – a result of a 2022 request from the United Nations General Assembly for the court to provide an opinion on the continued occupation of Palestinian territory.
The ICJ firmly came down against Israel in the opinion issued on Friday, calling the occupation unlawful and declaring that building settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem was unlawful. It rejected any argument that Israel has sovereignty over the territories, despite its claims. The president of the court also said that Israel’s laws in the occupied territories were “tantamount to the crime of apartheid”.
The Palestinian Authority was delighted with the court’s opinion, with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki calling it “a watershed moment for Palestine”. As expected, Israel has rejected the decision, calling it “false”.
But if it is so momentous, what can be expected to come next?
