Israeli presence in territories is illegal and must end, World Court says

The World Court says in a non-binding advisory opinion that Israel’s continued presence in the territories is illegal and that it should come to an end “as rapidly as possible.”

“The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power through its annexation and assertion of permanent control over occupied Palestinian territory, and its 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,” the court determines in its ruling.

“This illegality relates to the entirety of Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in 1967. This is the territorial unit across which Israel has imposed policies and practices to fragment and frustrate the ability of the Palestinian people to exercise its right to self-determination, and over large swaths of which it has extended Israeli sovereignty in violation of international law.”

It also says Israel must make reparations for damages caused by its rule of the territories.