The World Court will rule on the legality of Israel's West Bank barrier next month.
The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, said today it will render its judgement on the legality of the West Bank network of fences and walls in a public hearing on July 9th, one of the most high-profile rulings in its 58-year-history.
Israel says the barrier has been built to keep Palestinian suicide bombers out of its cities. Palestinians call the structure - which cuts deep into the West Bank in places - a land grab that would thwart their dream of a viable state. The court held hearings on its legality in February.
The network of wire fences and cement walls snakes into the West Bank in some sections and in others runs close to the "Green Line" boundary between Israel and the West Bank before the 1967 Middle East war. Plans call for the barrier to stretch about 700 km with 190 kilometres built so far.
The UN's top court said it would hand down an "advisory opinion". Such a ruling is non-binding, but Israel fears the General Assembly, where pro-Palestinian sentiment is strong, could use it to lobby for sanctions against the Jewish state.
A dozen countries including Jordan, Cuba, South Africa and Saudi Arabia, gave oral testimony on behalf of Palestinians in February. The Israeli government boycotted the hearings, saying the case is political and beyond the court's jurisdiction.
"The reason why Israel built the fence - the suicide bombers - unfortunately . . . still exists," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman David Saranga said.
"The fact that it took the court so long to decide, shows that as opposed to what the Palestinians and other countries said, that [the issue] is so urgent, the court apparently doesn't think it is so urgent," he said.
Although they have criticised the barrier's route, the United States and European Union declined to appear at the hearings in February, saying they fear a court ruling could complicate peace efforts.
The case stems from a Palestinian request - backed by the United Nations General Assembly - to decide whether Israel is legally obliged to tear down its barrier.