The International Court of Justice on Monday concluded its six-day hearing on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. Representatives from over 50 nations and international organizations presented oral statements at The Hague, most arguing Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem is a violation of international law and calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. This is Abdel Hakim El-Rifai with the League of Arab States.

Abdel Hakim El-Rifai: “This prolonged occupation is an affront to international justice. The failure to bring it to an end has led to the current horrors perpetrated against the Palestinian people, amounting to genocide. There can be no moral or juridical justification for occupying lands, killing, terrorizing and displacing their populations.”