UN court to open hearings on legality of Israeli occupation

The Peace Palace houses the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in the Hague (Patrick Post/AP)

The United Nations’ highest court is set to open historic hearings into the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, plunging the 15 international judges back into the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Six days of hearings are scheduled at the International Court of Justice from Monday, during which an unprecedented number of countries will participate, as Israel continues its devastating assault on Gaza.