The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and that it should come to an end 'as rapidly as possible'. Nawaf Salam, president of the ICJ in The Hague, read out the nonbinding advisory opinion on Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory on Friday. He said that Israel was in breach of the sixth paragraph of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which says the occupying power should not deport or transfer part of its civilian population into the territory it occupies. 'Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law,' Salam said, reading the findings of a 15-judge panel. He added that Israel's policies and practices in the Palestinian territory amounted to the annexation of large parts of these territories and that the court finds Israel systematically discriminates against Palestini ans in the occupied territory. ICJ issued a non-binding advisory opinion on 'the legal consequences of Israel's policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.' In response to the questions posed by the United Nations General Assembly, the ICJ determined that 'Israel's' policies and practices, including the violation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, prolonged occupation, settlement, and annexation of territory occupied since 1967, are in breach of international law and constitute an ongoing unlawful act. It also said that the continued presence of 'Israel' in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is illegal, leading to legal consequences for 'Israel, other States, and the United Nations.' ICJ, known as the World Court, is the highest UN body for hearing disputes between States. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency