Palestinian foreign minister urges top UN court to end Israeli occupation, declare it 'illegal'

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki addressed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday, urging the court to terminate the Israeli occupation and deem it "illegal."

"We call upon the International Court of Justice to declare the Israeli occupation illegal and emphasize the necessity of ending it immediately and unconditionally," al-Maliki said during an in hearing session at the ICJ.

The court sessions commenced Monday regarding the legal implications arising from Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"It is time to end double standards and enforce international laws on all countries without exception," he said.

Highlighting the stark realities faced by Palestinians, the minister said: "Israel has left Palestinians with only three options: either displacement, detention, or death."

Al-Maliki further said: "Palestine remains the greatest test of the credibility of the international system based on laws, and humanity cannot bear its failure."

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas. The ensuing Israeli attacks have killed nearly 29,000 and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while less than 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio