UN court says Israel’s presence in occupied territories is illegal and must end

The Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice, at The Hague (Alamy/PA)

The top United Nations court has ruled that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian occupied territories is “unlawful” and called on it to end.

The court pointed to the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and east Jerusalem, its annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands and discriminatory policies against Palestinians.