Rhino: agencies – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Friday that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands and the settlements built on them are illegal and it should end its presence in those territories as soon as possible.

The advisory opinion by the judges of the ICJ, the highest court of the United Nations, is not binding, but it carries weight under international law and may weaken support for Israel.

‘Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and their associated regime, have been established and are being maintained in contravention of international law,’ said Court President Nawaf Salam as he read out the findings of a panel of 15 judges.

The court said Israel’s obligations include paying compensation for damage and evacuating all settlers from existing settlements.

In a swift response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the opinion as ‘fundamentally wrong’ and biased, and emphasized its position that a political settlement in the region can only be reached through negotiations.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: ‘The Jewish people cannot be occupiers of their own land.