Turkey says World Court occupation is root cause of Israeli-Palestinian conflict By Reuters

THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz told judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was the main cause of conflict in the region.

On the final day of public hearings in a case examining the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, Yildiz also addressed the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel, which killed 1,200 people, and Israel’s military response that it has since killed over 29,000. Palestinians.

“The evolution of the situation after October 7 demonstrates once again that, without addressing the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there can be no peace in the region,” he said on the sixth day of hearings.

“The real obstacle to peace is clear: Israel’s growing occupation of the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the failure to implement the two-state vision,” he added.

The United Nations Supreme Court, also known as the World Court, is hearing arguments from more than 50 states following a request from the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation.

The hearings are part of a Palestinian push for international legal institutions to examine Israel’s conduct in the occupied territories.

Israel, which will not take part in the hearings, said in written comments that the court’s involvement could be detrimental to reaching a negotiated settlement.

Last week, Palestinian representatives asked judges to declare Israel’s occupation of their territory illegal and said their opinion could help reach a two-state solution.

It is expected that the judges will take around six months to issue an opinion on the request.