The United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution seeking an official legal opinion from the International Court of Justice regarding the consequences of Israel’s ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Adopted on Friday, the measure was celebrated by Palestinian leaders as a first step toward accountability.
The resolution asks the ICJ to advise on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s ongoing “occupation, settlement and annexation” of the Palestinian territories, “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.” The court should explain how specific Israeli policies and actions “affect the legal status of the occupation” and set out the legal consequences that could result – not just for Israel but for the UN and its members.
