Top UN court declares Israeli settlements illegal

West Jerusalem is carrying out a “de-facto annexation” of the West Bank, the International Court of Justice has ruled

Israel’s construction of settlements on Palestinian land violates the Geneva Convention and amounts to a policy of “de-facto annexation,” the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the “false ruling,” insisting that the West Bank is Jewish land.

The court’s 15 justices agreed on Friday that “the transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as Israel’s maintenance of their presence, is contrary to article 49 of the fourth Geneva Convention”.

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