He referenced a December 2022 UNGA resolution seeking such an opinion, which passed by a vote of 87 to 26 with 53 abstentions. The resolution calls on the ICJ to give a formal opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s policy of “occupation, settlement and annexation”.
The ICJ last weighed in on the issue of Israel’s occupation in 2004, when it ruled that Israel’s wall in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem was illegal.
The Hague-based ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the top UN court dealing with disputes between states. Its rulings are binding, though the ICJ has no power to enforce them.
“By giving an advisory opinion regarding the Israeli practices that affect human rights on occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, we aspire towards a victory and to honour the combat of the Palestinian people who have suffered so much and who have sacrificed so much living under occupation,” he stated.
