A post shared on social media purports that the International Court of Justice ruled Israel is an illegal state.
BREAKING: The International Court has declared Israel an illegal state. pic.twitter.com/LjIBNGyAQw
— Huma Zehra (@HumaZhr) September 6, 2024
Verdict: False
The video shows the ICJ announcing its decision that Israel’s occupation is illegal, not its statehood.
Fact Check:
Israeli military strikes killed 27 Palestinians in Gaza including two women and two children, Reuters reported. The strikes came as children in the enclave were receiving polio vaccines, but a ceasefire still may be a challenge to reach, according to the outlet.
A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, purports to show video of members of the International Court of Justice announcing that they have found Israeli statehood to be illegal. The video shows several men standing on steps as one speaks into a microphone.
The post reads, “BREAKING: The International Court has declared Israel an illegal state.”
The claim is inaccurate. The International Court of Justice did rule that Israel’s occupation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal, according to BBC. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken out against the decision, a decision which could have major political consequences, according to the outlet.
The video was shared by news outlets. The video shows the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki briefing the media on the court’s ruling. At no point did he announce that the court found Israel to be an illegal state. He announced the court’s ruling on the settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which they found to be illegal. “This is a watershed moment for Palestine, for justice and international law,” al-Maliki says in the video. “Israel’s occupation has been declared unlawful.” (RELATED: Did Israel Track Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Using Whatsapp?)
This is not the first time misinformation surrounding Israel has circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim an image showed Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a bomb shelter.