Arab states urged international judges to declare Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal on the final day of hearings in a case examining its legal status. The case began long before the October 7 attacks and Israel's military retaliation in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been hearing arguments from more than 50 states following a request by the UN General Assembly in 2022 to issue a non-binding opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called the occupation "an affront to international justice" in a statement read to the court by a representative.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz told the judges that the occupation was the root cause of conflict in the region.

The majority of states that spoke at the ICJ hearing urged the judges to declare the occupation illegal.

Israel, which is not participating in the hearings, has said the court's involvement could be detrimental to a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling the questions posed to the court biased.

The ICJ hearings concluded on Monday and a date for a decision will be announced in due course, the court said. The 15-judge panel is expected to take about six months to issue its non-binding opinion on the occupation.