Hearings on Israel's occupation of Palestinian areas are held by the World Court.

 Hearings on Israel's occupation of Palestinian areas are held by the World Output 

THE HAGUE: To be heard by the UN's highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a record 52 governments will argue the legal implications of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The UN General Assembly requested an advisory, or non-binding, opinion from the ICJ in 2022 about the occupation, and that request is the basis for the court's six-day proceedings that begin on Monday. Although Israel has always disregarded such viewpoints, they could increase political pressure over its current campaign in Gaza, which has claimed 28,775 lives, the most of them civilian.

It is a part of the Palestinian movement to have international legal organizations like the International Court of Justice investigate Israel's actions. This movement has gained momentum since Hamas's strikes on October 7 and Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip.

This will facilitate the achievement of a two-state solution politically. During a press briefing prior to the hearings, Omar Awadallah, a senior official in the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, said, "We are using the platform of the largest judicial body to advance our cause."

During a 1967 conflict, Israel took control of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem—areas of historic Palestine that the Palestinians desire to become a state. Although it left Gaza in 2005, it still maintains border control with Egypt, its neighbor.

The International Court of Justice, or World Court, has been asked by the UN General Assembly for an advisory opinion regarding the occupied Palestinian territories twice recently. Although it remains in place today, the court declared in July 2004 that Israel's separation wall in the West Bank breached international law and ought to be taken down.

According to Clive Baldwin, senior legal consultant at Human Rights Watch, "the International Court of Justice is set to broadly consider the legal consequences of Israel's nearly six-decade-long occupation and mistreatment of the Palestinian people." 

"Governments arguing before the court ought to take advantage of these historic hearings to draw attention to the serious wrongdoings perpetrated by Israeli authorities against the Palestinian people, including the crimes against humanity of persecution and apartheid."

The World Court genocide lawsuit that South Africa brought against Israel for allegedly violating the 1948 Genocide Convention in Gaza is unrelated to the advisory opinion process. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) gave Israel an order to stop crimes of genocide in Gaza by the end of January. output 

As to the ICJ, the advisory opinion's ruling would have "great legal weight and moral authority," but it would not be legally binding.

Giving a ruling on the legal ramifications of Israel's "occupation, settlement and annexation... including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures" is the specific question posed to the court.

The 15-judge panel of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was also requested by the general assembly to provide advice on how those policies and practices "affect the legal status of the occupation" and what legal ramifications result for all nations and the UN from this status.

Over the course of six days, the court will hear arguments from more than 50 states, including the US, Russia, China, and South Africa, as well as three international organizations. Israel has submitted a written declaration to the court, but it hasn't requested to be involved in the proceedings. The Palestinian officials' remarks will kick off the proceedings on Monday.