UK Opposes ICJ's Role in Israel's Palestinian Occupation Case

The United Kingdom is seeking to prevent the International Court of Justice (ICJ) from addressing crucial matters related to international humanitarian law, as reported by a UK daily.

This comes in response to the legal opinion submitted by the UK to the ICJ concerning the legality of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.

In a 43-page legal opinion submitted last month as part of the ICJ's fact-finding stage, the UK opposes the very hearing of the case in the court, according to The Guardian.

This position of the UK is reportedly shared by only a few among the 57 opinions sent to the court by member states and non-governmental organizations.

The ICJ is anticipated to provide its advisory opinion to the UN General Assembly regarding the legal consequences of the "occupation, settlement and annexation" of Palestinian land in the upcoming months. This follows a UNGA resolution in December, which requested the ICJ's opinion on "legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory."

At that time, Israel, along with its Western supporters, including the US and UK, voted against the resolution, contending that it could hinder negotiations between the conflicting parties.

The Guardian reports that Palestinian diplomats and experts in international humanitarian law criticize the UK's stance for not acknowledging the entrenched nature of Israel's occupation and the rapidly deteriorating situation.