"ICJ Holds Hearings on Israel's Occupation of Palestinian Lands"

The United Nations' top court has begun hearings into the legality of Israel's 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, with the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister presenting the case against Israel's policies in the occupied territories. The Palestinians argue that Israel has violated the prohibition on territorial conquest, the Palestinians' right to self-determination, and imposed a system of racial discrimination and apartheid. Israel, which captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war, justifies the ongoing occupation on security grounds, while the international community overwhelmingly considers the settlements to be illegal.