At a hearing called for by the UN General Assembly, Jasmine Moussa, the legal advisor for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, appeared before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday, 21 February. The UN General Assembly in 2022 requested the ICJ to provide an advisory opinion on the legal ramifications of Israeli policies and actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. This oral proceeding will involve more nations and international organisations than any other since the world’s top court started operations in 1946, involding 52 nations and three international organizations. Significance of the court hearing This request asks the court to undertake a legal review of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) crisis, focusing on the application of international humanitarian and human rights laws in the current context. It also seeks an evaluation of Israel’s actions in the OPT against international standards, including those related to discrimination, and the possibility of applying international criminal law, specifically regarding crimes against humanity like apartheid and persecution. The upcoming International Court of Justice hearings represent a significant opportunity for a comprehensive legal examination of the consequences of Israel’s decades-long…
