The Arab League called today before the International Court of Justice in The Hague Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories “an affront to international justice”, saying that not putting an end to it is tantamount to “genocide”.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague today concludes a week of hearings on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967, with an unprecedented number of 52 countries invited to testify.

“This prolonged occupation is an affront to international justice,” the Arab League spokesman told the judges.

“The failure to put an end has led to the atrocities now being committed against the Palestinian people, amounting to genocide,” said Abdel Hakim El-Rifai.

The majority of speakers called for Israel to end the occupation that followed the Six-Day Warbut Washington defended its partner.

The UN asked the court to issue a “non-binding opinion” on the “legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.”

The court will likely issue its opinion before the end of the year.

Israel is not participating in the hearings but has submitted a written statement calling the questions put to the court “prejudicial” and prejudicial.

The hearings began last Monday with testimony from Palestinian officials, who accused Israel of running a system of “colonialism and apartheid” and called on judges to demand an “immediate, complete and unconditional” end to the occupation.

These hearings are separate from the case brought before the International Court of Justice by South Africa, which accuses Israel of committing acts of genocide in Gaza. In January the court called on Israel to prevent any possible act of genocide in the tiny Palestinian enclave but made no mention of a ceasefire.

The conflict erupted with the attack on Israeli territory by the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7, which led to the death of at least 1,160 people, pthe majority of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.

In retaliation, the Israeli army launched an attack that killed 29,782 people in the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas health ministry.