U.N.'s top court begins second day of hearings on Israel occupation

Darryl Coote
·1 min read
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UPI
South Africa, Algeria and Saudi Arabia are among the countries set to testify Tuesday before the International Court of Justice in a case concerning the consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory. Photo by Frank van Beek/UN/ICJ-CIJ

Feb. 20 (UPI) -- The United Nations' high court on Tuesday is set to hold its second day of high-profile public hearings on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.

Eleven countries are expected to speak Tuesday before the 15 judges of the International Court of Justice in The Hague who are tasked with producing a non-binding opinion advisory on the legal consequences of Israel's near six-decade occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. It will also advise how Israel's policies and practices affect the legal status of the occupation and what this means for other countries and the United Nations.

A record 52 countries and three international organizations are to speak during the week of hearings, which are to conclude Feb. 26, with the State of Palestine having been the first to address the judges on Monday when its foreign minister, Riyad al-Maliki, called Israel's illegal occupation "colonialism" and "apartheid."

South Africa is to be the first country to speak on Tuesday, followed by Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada and Chile.

The hearings are the result of a December 2022 resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in response to a U.N. Human Rights Council-commissioned report published that October that found Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory was illegal under international law.

Israel has opted not to participate in protest.