US Criticizes ICJ Ruling That Israeli Occupation of Palestine Is Illegal

The US has criticized the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling that said the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and must come to an end, claiming it impedes a two-state solution.

“We are concerned that the breadth of the court’s opinion will complicate efforts to resolve the conflict and bring about an urgently needed just and lasting peace, with two states living side-by-side in peace and security,” a State Department spokesperson told Reuters in an email on Saturday.

The spokesperson said the ICJ ruling, which was a non-binding opinion, was “inconsistent with the established framework.”

In contrast, the US refused to condemn the Israeli Knesset passing a resolution that rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, which covers all of the occupied territories.