UN court to deliver opinion on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories

The United Nations’ highest court is set to issue an advisory opinion Friday on the legal ramifications of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, weighing in on one of the world’s most contentious issues at the request of the U.N. General Assembly.
While advisory opinions of judges at the International Court of Justice are non-binding, they carry weight under international law and a clear finding that the occupation is illegal could weaken support for Israel.
The advisory opinion process predates the current Israel-Hamas conflict, and in a separate case brought by South Africa, the court in May issued a binding order for Israel to halt its Rafah offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel strongly condemned the ruling.
In late 2022 the General Assembly asked the court to appraise Israel’s “prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation” of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and associated Israeli government policies.