Experts with the UN’s top human rights body on Thursday decried Israel’s occupation of territories Palestinians seek for their future state, saying it was “unlawful under international law” and increasingly entrenched.
The experts, members of a special commission, also appealed to the International Court of Justice to offer its opinion on the matter. Their statement came in a report to the UN General Assembly, which is to discuss the report next week.
The 28-page report highlights gaps in international humanitarian law regarding occupation and is meant to ratchet up international pressure on Israel to end settlements and other forms of control over Palestinian areas—though there are no signs Israel has any intention of doing so.
The commission cited “reasonable grounds” to conclude that the occupation “is now unlawful under international law due to its permanence” as well as the Israeli government’s “de-facto annexation policies.”
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