ICJ sets July deadline for submission on illegality of Israel’s occupation

The deadline announcement is a sign that the international court will not put the issue on the back burner.

The International Court of Justice set a July 25 date for written submissions by state bodies and organisations on the question of the illegality of Israel’s occupation, as a sign that the ICJ is pushing ahead with the matter.

Those who submit legal arguments will have until October 25 to comment on other submissions, the ICJ said in a statement it posted on its website on Wednesday night. In December 2022, the United Nations asked the ICJ to issue an advisory opinion on the illegality of Israel’s military rule in the West Bank, arguing it constituted a form of de-facto occupation.

The ruling is non-binding but could be used for binding actions by other bodies, including the International Criminal Court and the UN. It would also boost the campaign against Israel’s hold on that territory.

The ICJ last issued an advisory opinion against Israel in 2004, when it said it was illegal for the IDF to build a security barrier in the West Bank.

Israel and the United States have argued that the ICJ request is harmful. The Biden administration has worked to sway the Palestinian Authority, which helped initiate the UN proceedings, to temporarily suspend them and to resume its security cooperation with Israel.

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ICJ sets July 25 for submission on illegality of Israel's occupation (Jerusalem Post)

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Photo: International Court of Justice (ICJ)