The world’s highest court has confirmed what we Palestinians always knew: Israel’s settlements are illegal | Raja Shehadeh

This ruling lays bare the reality of Israel's occupation. Acting on it will bring us closer to peace

Over the past 57 years, Palestinians in the West Bank such as myself have suffered the rise of Israeli settlements taking over our land, restricting our own development and destroying the natural beauty of the landscape. We spared no effort in describing how this aggression was contrary to local and international law. But it was like crying into the wind. No one was listening. Israeli defenders, meanwhile, spread spurious justifications for the country's actions, raising doubts in the minds of many about the veracity of our position.

Last Friday, the highest court in the world, the international court of justice (ICJ) in the Hague, ruled on the matter. In its advisory opinion to the UN, made upon the request of the general assembly, the court stated that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem ... have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law". But the real bombshell was the court's assertion that what is required by Israel is the evacuation of all settlers from existing settlements" and that it is also under an obligation to provide full reparation for the damage caused by its internationally wrongful acts to all natural or legal persons concerned". In this way, the court confirmed the well established principle that violations of international law do not lapse by time, and are not subject to a period of limitation.