The ICJ's public hearings, scheduled from 19 to 26 February, will feature Egypt in the third session presenting oral arguments before the court, along with several other Arab, African, and Asian countries, after Cairo had submitted two memorandums to the ICJ on 25 July 2023.

These memorandums affirmed Egypt's support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, establishing their independent state, and halting all forms of occupation, settlement, discrimination, killing, and displacement practised by the Israeli occupation.

According to the ICJ's hearings report, Hatem Kamal El-Din, Egypt's ambassador to the Netherlands, and Yasmine Moussa, legal advisor in the office of Egypt's foreign minister, will represent Egypt before the court, along with members of the Egyptian embassy in The Hague: First Secretary Sherif Abdel-Aziz, First Secretary Maryham Youssef, and Second Secretary Mohamed Samir Salem.

Fifty-two states and three international organizations — the African Union, the League of Arab States, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation — have expressed their intention to participate in the oral proceedings before the court.

On Monday, Palestinian representatives asked the court to declare Israel's occupation of their territory illegal, saying the court's advisory opinion could contribute to a two-state solution and a lasting peace.

Israel is not attending the hearings but has sent a written statement, saying an advisory opinion would be harmful to achieving a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.

The upcoming proceedings, which were first proposed in November 2022, differ from the recent case brought by South Africa against Israel over its deadly war in Gaza.

The ICJ rules in disputes between states. However, it can also be asked to provide a legal opinion on a topic of international law.

When the ICJ rules in contentious cases between states, its judgment is binding, but it has little means of enforcement.

In contrast, an advisory opinion is completely non-binding but would likely add to the mounting international pressure on Israel to halt its war on Gaza.

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946.

The court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.