The International Court of Justice set a July 25 date for written submissions by state bodies and organizations 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 the 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.
The ICJ fixed “July 25, 2023, as the time list within which written statements on the questions may be presented to the court and October 25, 2023, as the time limit within which states and organizations, having presented written statements, may submit written comments on the written statements made by either states or organizations,” the ICJ said.
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.
