THE HAGUE

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh al-Maliki has said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has fulfilled its duty by issuing an advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories as illegal and calling for its immediate end.

Speaking to Anadolu, Maliki expressed satisfaction with the advisory opinion and said: “What's important right now is how to translate what they have really said, what they have really put in the 140 pages report into action.”

He emphasized that the primary goal is to “end the occupation” and for Israel “to be punished for the prolonged occupation, and for the crimes that have been committed against our people.”

Maliki also indicated that the envisioned Palestinian state would be open to all people, including the Palestinian diaspora and those who identify as Palestinian.

He stated that copies of the advisory opinion will be sent to countries that support Israel.

“A number of countries who have really embraced Israel … it is really time for them to sit back to review their relationship with Israel and really to learn from this advisory opinion,” said the Palestinian official.

Advisory opinion to be presented to the UN

Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s permanent representative to the UN, called the advisory opinion very significant and said that they would thoroughly review the 140-page document.

He emphasized that the next step would be to present the opinion to the UN General Assembly and possibly the UN Security Council.

Mansour stated that they have a strong team at the UN and will use the advisory opinion effectively to achieve the best possible outcome.

He also stressed the need to ensure that countries supporting Israel cease their military and financial support.

He added that Palestine has been working “on this subject for at least 10 years.”

“We have a formidable political team, and a formidable legal team and we've been working for many years” to reach this point, Mansour stated.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

More than 38,900 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 89,600 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi