International Court of Justice begins hearings in Israeli wall case

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) today began hearing the first oral submissions in the request for an advisory opinion on the consequences of the construction of an Israeli wall in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Representatives from Palestine, South Africa and Algeria gave submissions during the first of three days of hearings scheduled at the Court's headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The ICJ's action follows a request from the UN General Assembly in December last year. During an emergency session on Palestine, the Assembly adopted a resolution asking for an urgently rendered opinion on "the legal consequences arising from the construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in an around East Jerusalem."

Oral submissions are expected tomorrow from Bangladesh, Belize, Cuba, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia and Senegal. The ICJ is scheduled to hear from Sudan, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference on Wednesday morning.

The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the UN, was set up to hear disputes between States and to issue non-binding advisory opinions on the legality of certain matters.

The ICJ is broadcasting the public hearings live and in full on its website because of the worldwide public and media interest in the case.