Washington: The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution calling on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.
According to Al Jazeera’s report, the General Assembly voted 26 to 87 with 53 abstentions on the resolution. Western countries were divided, but Russia and China voted in favor of the resolution with unanimous support from the Islamic State.
24 other members, including Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom and Germany, voted against the resolution, while France was among the 53 countries that abstained. The Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) deals with disputes between states.
Palestinian leaders welcomed the vote. Senior official Hussain al-Sheikh said it “reflects a victory for Palestinian diplomacy”. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudine said the time has come to make Israel a law-abiding state and hold it accountable for the ongoing crimes against our people.
The UN resolution also asked the ICJ to advise on how those policies and practices “affect the legality of occupation” and, as such, for all countries and the UN. Legal consequences arise.
