The Russian government has called on Israel to pay close attention to the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling regarding the occupation of Palestinian territories, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
"According to the universally recognized international legal framework for Middle Eastern settlement, including relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the principal judicial body of the UN has determined that Israel is obligated to end its unlawful presence in occupied Palestine. <…> We in Moscow hope that all concerned parties, particularly Israel, will carefully consider the court's ruling, which underscores that resuming negotiations to realize the Palestinian people's right to self-determination in an independent and territorially contiguous state is not only a political and humanitarian imperative but also a legal one," the ministry stated.
The ministry also reminded that the court reaffirmed the illegality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They added that Israel's policy has been deemed a de facto attempt to annex significant portions of Palestinian territory and a violation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. Several aspects of Israeli legislation and practices were qualified as violations of the prohibition on discrimination and segregation.
"In our submissions to the court, the Russian side expressed the hope that the advisory opinion would facilitate the prompt resumption of a full peace process through direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine. We note in this regard the court's conclusion that the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations should consider further steps to end the Israeli occupation," the ministry added.
The International Court of Justice issued its advisory opinion on July 19 regarding the occupation of Palestinian lands. According to the document, Israel is required to immediately halt its illegal presence in these territories, cease new settlement activities, and evacuate all settlers. Additionally, Israel is obligated to provide reparations for damages caused to all individuals and entities affected by the occupation of Palestinian lands.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials TASS