Britain 'seeking to stop' UN court ruling on Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories

Britain has been accused of "seeking to block" the international court of justice [ICJ] from addressing important international humanitarian law matters in a submission to the world court on the legality of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

- Bethan McKernan

A 43-page legal opinion, seen by the Guardian, was submitted by the UK last month as part of the ICJ's fact-finding stage before an expected advisory opinion from the court on the legal consequences of the "occupation, settlement and annexation" of Palestinian land.

Britain's "amicus brief" opposes the hearing of the case in the ICJ altogether - a position shared by only a handful of the 57 opinions sent to the court by member states and nongovernmental organisations.

The British statement has been met with dismay by Palestinian diplomats, as well as international humanitarian law experts, who say it ignores not just the fact that Israel's occupation is entrenched but that the situation is rapidly deteriorating.

Sitting in The Hague, the ICJ is the top UN court for dealing with disputes between countries: its rulings are binding, though the court has no power to enforce them.

This legal action is seen as important by Israel and the Palestinians, however, because, while various UN bodies have found that aspects of the occupation are illegal, to date there has never been a judgment on whether the occupation itself, now in its 56th year, either is or has become unlawful.

A UN general assembly resolution in December requested the advisory opinion from the ICJ on the "legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory".