The UN's top court will begin public hearings on Monday on the legality of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.
The six-day hearing could increase political pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza, although its focus is on a broader issue: control of the occupied West Bank, annexed East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
The United States is among the countries scheduled to take part on Wednesday, along with Egypt, Russia and France. Chinese officials are scheduled to appear on Thursday. Israel will not participate.
Israel does not believe it is “occupying” Gaza, arguing that it relinquished control of the enclave in 2005 when it unilaterally withdrew. But human rights groups say Israel has maintained control of Gaza in other ways, including through a blockade that Israel and Egypt imposed when the militant group Hamas seized power in 2007. The Biden administration has stated that there should be no “reoccupation” of the Gaza Strip due to the current conflict.
This is not the first time the matter has been raised. In 2022, the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice – established to decide disputes between states – to issue a non-binding “expert” opinion on the decades-long occupation.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is expected to vote this week on a resolution drafted by Algeria calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Washington — one of five permanent council members with veto power — has said it will not support the measure.
Gaza's health ministry and a senior UN official said on February 18 that there was no electricity and insufficient staff to maintain operations at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. (Video: Portal)
Here's what else you should know
The Israeli government adopted a statement on Sunday saying the country would not recognize a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said The decision came “in light of comments recently heard in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally impose a Palestinian state on Israel.” A peace plan being developed by the United States and Arab nations sets out a timetable for the establishment of one Palestinian state.
Norway will help transfer funds frozen by Israel to the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority relies on tax revenues collected by Israel on its behalf to fund public services in the Palestinian territories. But after the October 7 Hamas attack, Israel refused to transfer the share of funds intended for Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority said it did not agree to receive incomplete funds. Now Norway said the Palestinian Authority has agreed to receive the rest of the funds from Israel, with Norway keeping the frozen funds until both parties agree to release them.
Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza, “is no longer functional” The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said this on Sunday after days of Israeli raids. He said there were still about 200 patients in hospital and at least 20 needed to be transferred to other hospitals for urgent treatment.
At least 29,092 people have been killed and 69,028 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack and says 236 soldiers have been killed since Hamas' military operation began in Gaza.