Summary

  • The UN's top court says Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is against international law and settlements should stop, in a landmark opinion

  • The UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to give its view on Israel's policies and practices towards the Palestinians, and on the legal status of the occupation

  • Any opinion from the court is not legally binding - but carries significant political weight

  • Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. As the occupying power, Israel's actions are subject to a detailed set of rules under international law

  • Before hearings started, Israel said it did not recognise "the legitimacy of the discussion" at the ICJ

  • The Palestinian Authority's foreign minister told the court that his people had endured "colonialism and apartheid"

Live Reporting

  1. ICJ says Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal

    The UN's top court has said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is against international law, in a landmark opinion.

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel should stop settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza and end its "illegal" occupation of those areas as soon as possible.

    The court's advisory opinion is not legally binding but still carries significant political weight. It marks the first time the ICJ has delivered a position on the legality of the 57-year occupation.

    We are closing this live stream page shortly as the judges have finished delivering their opinion but you can read more in this story.