Closing summary
This blog is now closing. Thank you for following along, below is a summary of today’s stories:
The international court of justice ruled in a landmark decision that Israel’s settlement policies and exploitation of natural resources in the Palestinian territories were in breach of international law. The findings by judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), known as the World Court, are not binding but carry weight under international law and may weaken support for Israel.
The opinion said that Israel should pay reparations to Palestinians for damages caused by the occupation. It also found that the UN security council, the General Assembly and all states have an obligation not to recognise the occupation as legal and not to give aid or support toward maintaining it.
The UK announced that it will resume funding to the UN Palestine relief agency Unrwa. Britain’s foreign minister, David Lammy, who is part of the newly elected Labour government, told parliament he was reassured that the agency had taken steps to “ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality”. “I can confirm to the house that we are overturning the suspension of Unrwa funding, Britain will provide £21m in funds” to the agency, he said.
The Houthi’s, who are based in Yemen, have claimed responsibility for an apparent drone attack that hit central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday. The attack killed one man in his 50s and injured two others. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel will “settle the score” with those who harm or “perpetrates terrorism” against the country after the attack. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the military believes the Houthi’s were responsible for the attack.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) warned on Friday that “anarchy” was spreading in the Gaza Strip, with rampant looting, unlawful killings and shootings as the population faces an acute humanitarian crisis. Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR for Gaza and the West Bank, described unlawful killings and looting in the absence of law enforcement linked to “Israel’s dismantling of local capacity to maintain public order and safety in Gaza”.
Here is some background about the occupied territories and wider context of the case from our full report:
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in 1967 during the six-day war. The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state.
Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory, the future of which should be decided in negotiations. It has moved people there in settlements to solidify its hold. It has annexed East Jerusalem in a move that is not recognised internationally, while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but maintained a blockade of the territory after Hamas took power in 2007. The international community generally considers all three areas to be occupied territory.
At hearings in February, the then Palestinian foreign minister, Riad Malki, accused Israel of apartheid and urged the ICJ to declare that Israel’s occupation of lands sought by the Palestinians is illegal and must end immediately and unconditionally for any hope of a two-state future to survive.
Israel, which normally considers the UN and international tribunals as unfair and biased, did not send a legal team to the hearings. It submitted written comments, saying that the questions put to the court were prejudiced and “fail to recognise Israel’s right and duty to protect its citizens”, address Israeli security concerns or acknowledge Israel-Palestinian agreements to negotiate issues, including “the permanent status of the territory, security arrangements, settlements, and borders”.
The Palestinians presented arguments in February along with 49 other nations and three international organisations.
The UN general assembly voted by a wide margin in December 2022 to ask the ICJ for the advisory opinion. Israel vehemently opposed the request which was promoted by the Palestinians. Fifty countries abstained from voting.
Israel has built well over 100 settlements, according to the anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now. The West Bank settler population has grown by more than 15% in the past five years to more than 500,000 Israelis, according to a pro-settler group.
Israel also considers the entire city of Jerusalem to be its capital, including occupied East Jerusalem. 200,000 Israelis live in settlements built in East Jerusalem that Israel considers to be neighbourhoods of its capital. Palestinian residents of the city face systemic discrimination, making it difficult for them to build new homes or expand existing ones.
The international community considers all settlements to be illegal or obstacles to peace since they are built on lands sought by the Palestinians for their state.
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