The United Nations’s highest court is set to open historic hearings into the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The week-long proceedings, which begin at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Monday, come as Israel continues its devastating war on Gaza.
The assault has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians since October 7.
The case is separate from the genocide complaint South Africa filed at the ICJ against Israel for its alleged violations in the ongoing war.
It focuses instead on Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem since 1967.
The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state.
They say Israel has violated the prohibition on territorial conquest by annexing large swathes of occupied land, violated Palestinians’ right to self-determination and imposed a system of racial discrimination and apartheid.
The court will likely take months to make a ruling.
Credit: aljazeera.com
