ICJ orders Israel to end occupation of Palestinian territories "as rapidly as possible"

In a landmark opinion, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories "as rapidly as possible" and make full reparations for its "internationally wrongful acts".

The court found multiple breaches of international law by Israel, including activities that amount to apartheid.

"The court considers that the violations by Israel of the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force and of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination have a direct impact on the legality of the continued presence of Israel, as an occupying power, in the occupied Palestinian territory," said ICJ President Nawaf Salam while reading the court's opinion.

“The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power, through annexation and an assertion of permanent control over the occupied Palestinian territory and continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, violates fundamental principles of international law and renders Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful,” he added.

The opinion was welcomed by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, as "historic" and a "victory for justice". 

However, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected the opinion.

“The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land – not in our eternal capital Jerusalem, nor in our ancestral heritage of Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank]," the office of the Israeli PM said in a statement.

“No decision of lies in The Hague will distort this historical truth, and similarly, the legality of Israeli settlements in all parts of our homeland cannot be disputed,” it added.

The ICJ's opinion is non-binding, but it adds pressure on Israel to end its military offensive in Gaza and engage in political negotiations to resolve the conflict.

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has called on Israel and the Palestinians to engage "on the long-delayed political path towards ending the occupation and resolving the conflict in line with international law".

The court's decision has been hailed as a "watershed moment" by Palestinian foreign minister, Riyad Al-Maliki, and a "clear and far-reaching ruling" by Philippe Sands KC, counsel for Palestine in the proceedings.