During public hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the acting legal adviser of the US Department of State, Richard Visek, cautioned against ordering Israel to immediately withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories without obtaining security guarantees.

Visek's remarks came amidst a week of public hearings at the ICJ, following a request from the UN to provide a nonbinding opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"The court should not find that Israel is legally obligated to immediately and unconditionally withdraw from occupied territory," stated Visek. He emphasized the importance of considering Israel's security needs in any movement towards withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza.

The ICJ's panel of 15 judges has been tasked with reviewing Israel's occupation, settlement, and annexation policies, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition and status of East Jerusalem (al-Quds).

While several speakers, including representatives from South Africa and Saudi Arabia, have urged Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories, Israel has chosen not to participate in the oral hearings. Instead, it presented a written contribution criticizing the questions posed by the ICJ as "prejudicial" and "tendentious."

The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, which began during the 1967 Six-Day War, has been widely condemned by the international community. Israel's actions in the occupied territories, including killings, displacements, arrests, and home demolitions, have been criticized as violations of international law.

In the latest escalation, Israel launched a brutal war on the Gaza Strip in October, following Hamas' retaliatory actions against Israeli aggression. The conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure in Gaza.