BBC report from 19 July 2024:
UN top court 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 and East Jerusalem and end its "illegal" occupation of those areas and the Gaza Strip as soon as possible.Delivering the court's findings, ICJ President Nawaf Salam said it had found that "Israel's... continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal.""The State of Israel is under the obligation to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible," he said.He said Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 did not bring Israel's occupation of that area to an end because it still exercises effective control over it.The court also said Israel should evacuate all of its settlers from the West Bank and East Jerusalem and pay reparations to Palestinians for damages caused by the occupation.Among its other far-reaching conclusions, the court said Israeli restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied territories constituted "systemic discrimination based on, inter alia, race, religion or ethnic origin". It also said Israel had illegally exploited the Palestinians' natural resources and violated their right to self-determination.The court also advised states to avoid any actions, including providing aid or assistance, that would maintain the current situation.
* * * This is the response of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
