UN top court terms Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory 'illegal'; Netanyahu says 'decision of lies'

Israel's decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must end "as rapidly as possible," the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Friday in an advisory opinion at the request of the UN General Assembly.

The assembly had sought legal clarity on "the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem."

"The court has found that Israel's continued presence in the Palestinian Territories is illegal," ICJ presiding judge Nawaf Salam said.

“Israel must end the occupation as rapidly as possible,” he added.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the opinion terming it a “decision of lies”.

“The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land -- not in our eternal capital Jerusalem, nor in our ancestral heritage of Judea and Samaria (the occupied West Bank),” Netanyahu said in a statement.

"No decision of lies in The Hague will distort this historical truth, and similarly, the legality of Israeli settlements in all parts of our homeland cannot be disputed."

The ICJ convened a week-long session in February to hear submissions from numerous countries, following the assembly's request.

Most of the speakers urged Israel to end its 57-year occupation, warning of the "extreme danger" it poses to Middle Eastern and global stability.

Israel abstained from the oral hearings but submitted written remarks, describing the court's queries as "prejudicial" and "tendentious."

The UN's highest court, comprising 15 judges from around the globe, delivered this non-binding advisory opinion, which may influence international opinion more than Israeli policies.

The ruling comes amid Israel's 10-month military offensive in Gaza, sparked by Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip during the 1967 Mideast war. It annexed East Jerusalem in a move that is not internationally recognised, and while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it maintains a blockade following Hamas's 2007 takeover.

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