China asks ICJ to speak out on 'unlawful' Israeli occupation

China asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday to give its opinion on Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories, which it said was illegal.

"Justice has been long delayed, but it must not be denied," China's Foreign Ministry's legal adviser Ma Xinmin told the court in The Hague, in the Netherlands.

"Fifty-seven years have passed since Israel began its occupation of the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories). The unlawful nature of the occupation and sovereignty over the occupied territories remain unchanged," he said.

The UN's top court, also known as the World Court, this week is hearing arguments from more than 50 states following a request by the UN General Assembly in 2022 to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation.

 

Reuters