The end result of the advisory opinion wouldn’t be legally binding (Representational)

The Hague, Netherlands:

The United Nations’ prime court docket on Monday opens every week of hearings on the authorized penalties of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, with greater than 50 states resulting from handle the judges.

Palestinian International Minister Riyad al-Maliki will communicate first within the authorized proceedings on the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

In 2022, the U.N. Common Meeting requested the court docket for an advisory, or non-binding, opinion on the occupation.

Whereas Israel has ignored such opinions prior to now, it might pile on political stress over its ongoing struggle in Gaza, which has killed about 29,000 Palestinians, in keeping with Gaza well being officers, since Oct.7.

Amongst international locations scheduled to take part within the hearings are america – Israel’s strongest supporter, China, Russia, South Africa and Egypt. Israel won’t, though it has despatched written observations.

The hearings are a part of a Palestinian push to get worldwide authorized establishments to look at Israel’s conduct, which has change into extra pressing for the reason that Oct. 7 assaults by Hamas in Israel, which killed 1,200 folks, and Israel’s navy response.

Additionally they come amid mounting considerations about an Israeli floor offensive in opposition to the Gaza metropolis of Rafah, a final refuge for greater than 1,000,000 Palestinians after they fled to the south of the enclave to keep away from Israeli assaults.

Israel captured the West Financial institution, Gaza and East Jerusalem – areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians need for a state – within the 1967 struggle. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, however, together with neighbouring Egypt, nonetheless controls its borders.

It’s the second time the U.N. Common Meeting has requested the ICJ, also referred to as the World Courtroom, for an advisory opinion associated to the occupied Palestinian territory.

In July 2004, the court docket discovered that Israel’s separation wall within the West Financial institution violated worldwide regulation and ought to be dismantled, although it nonetheless stands to today.

Judges have now been requested to evaluate Israel’s “occupation, settlement and annexation…together with measures geared toward altering the demographic composition, character and standing of the Holy Metropolis of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of associated discriminatory laws and measures.”

Since 1967, Israel has vastly expanded Jewish settlements within the West Financial institution – an motion Palestinians say compromises the creation of a viable Palestinian state. It has additionally annexed East Jerusalem in a transfer not recognised by most international locations.

The Common Meeting additionally requested the ICJ’s 15-judge panel to advise on how these insurance policies and practices “have an effect on the authorized standing of the occupation” and what authorized penalties come up for all international locations and the United Nations from this standing.

The advisory opinion proceedings are separate from the genocide case that South Africa filed on the World Courtroom in opposition to Israel for its alleged violations in Gaza of the 1948 Genocide Conference. In late January the ICJ in that case ordered Israel to do every little thing in its energy to forestall acts of genocide in Gaza.

The end result of the advisory opinion wouldn’t be legally binding however would carry “nice authorized weight and ethical authority,” in keeping with the ICJ.

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