A total of 52 countries and three international organizations, will make oral statements before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on February 26 at a hearing on the legal consequences of Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, the United Nations’ top court said.
The ICJ has published a calendar of oral presentations in an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Al-Quds.
Accordingly, 52 countries, including Turkey, as well as the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union, will hold 30-minute oral presentations on February 19 and 26.
The orals will begin with the presentation of Palestine on February 19, and end with the Maldives in the afternoon of February 26.
The main duties of the ICJ include settling legal disputes arising between states in accordance with international law and providing advisory opinions on legal issues referred to it.
At the request of the UN General Assembly, the UN Court will issue a non-binding advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israeli policies and actions in occupied Palestine on this matter.
Public court hearings in The Hague Peace Palace will be broadcast live.
This is the first time that such a large number of states expressed themselves in writing and orally on an advisory opinion before the court, while Israel, which made written statements, did not participate in the oral discussions.
The ICJ’s advisory opinion is not related to a disputed case between the two states, unlike the case South Africa brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel for violations of the Genocide Convention, but only Israel.
It contains a non-binding legal opinion of the world court on legal responsibility for Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an interim ruling last month asking Israel to stop interfering with aid deliveries to Gaza and improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave, after South Africa accused Tel Aviv of committing genocide.
Israel launched a deadly offensive on Gaza after a Hamas attack on October 7, killing at least 28,064 Palestinians, and around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
According to United Nations data, due to the Israeli offensive, 85 percent of the population of the Gaza Strip has been internally displaced and is facing an acute shortage of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, AA writes.
