South Africa calls on international justice to declare the Israeli occupation illegal. The Court of Justice panel, which includes 15 judges, is required to conduct a review.
More than 50 countries will participate in the sessions, which began yesterday and will continue until February 26. Israel will not attend the hearings, but has sent a written statement saying that the advisory opinion would harm attempts to achieve a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians. The justices are expected to take about 6 months to deliberate, before issuing an advisory opinion.