Highlights: The hearings before the International Court of Justice ended this Monday, February 26. The fifteen judges have retired to deliberate and their decision is expected to be rendered within six months. 50 states and three multilateral organizations argued before the highest court of the UN on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. Judges will now decide whether the occupation is legal or not. And if it is illegal, they will have to draw the consequences. The question will have been the central issue of these debates. The United States and other allies of Israel, such as Hungary and the Fiji archipelago, asked the judges to abstain and simply push Palestinians and Israelis to resume negotiations.

The hearings before the International Court of Justice ended this Monday, February 26. The fifteen judges have retired to deliberate and their decision is expected to be rendered within six months. During…

Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories: end of hearings at the ICJ

The hearings before the International Court of Justice ended this Monday, February 26.

The fifteen judges have retired to deliberate and their decision is expected to be rendered within six months.

During the six days of hearings, 50 states and three multilateral organizations argued before the highest court of the UN on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

At the end of December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly asked the ICJ to issue an opinion on the question.

After a first written stage of the procedure, the oral pleadings took place from February 19 to 26.

Brief return on these six days of pleading.

Nawaf Salam, President of the Court, during an ICJ hearing in The Hague, February 21, 2024. AFP - ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in The Hague,

Stéphanie Maupas

The Court closed six days of intense pleadings.

Judges will now decide whether the occupation is legal or not.

And if it is illegal, they will have to draw the consequences.

Will they come out in favor of an Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Territories?

The question will have been the central issue of these debates.

The United States and other allies of Israel, such as Hungary and the Fiji archipelago, asked the judges to abstain and simply push Palestinians and Israelis to resume long-stalled negotiations.

For Washington, Israel's withdrawal can only be achieved with security guarantees.

But for the majority of States who voluntarily came to plead before the Court, negotiations can only exist after the withdrawal of Israel and the self-determination of the Palestinians.

Ireland, Namibia, South Africa and others recalled that the acquisition of territories by force has been completely prohibited since the end of the Second World War.

A mandatory and “

non-negotiable

” standard, says international law.

It implies the same right for everyone and for many States.

And Israel has been exempt for too long.

Read also Before the International Court of Justice, Washington continues to defend Israel

Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories: end of hearings at the ICJ

Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories: end of hearings at the ICJ

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