The United States criticized the International Court of Justice's decision that deemed the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and must end, claiming that it hinders the two-state solution.

According to Reuters, a US State Department spokesperson told the agency in an email on Saturday: “We are concerned that the breadth of the court’s opinion will complicate efforts to resolve the conflict and achieve a much-needed just and lasting peace in which two countries live side by side in peace and security.”

The ICJ ruling, which was a non-binding opinion, “contradicts the established framework,” the spokesman said.

On the other hand, the United States refused to condemn the Israeli Knesset’s issuance of a resolution rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, which includes all the occupied territories.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Vedant Patel said in his response to a question by Al-Quds.com correspondent, on Thursday, July 18, about the Knesset vote: “I will allow Israeli officials to speak to their legislative council and the actions taken by that chamber.” He claimed that the United States remains committed to the two-state solution, but the United States continues to support the Israeli government, which explicitly opposes the idea.

The ICJ ruling said the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem amounted to annexation. Since October 7, Israeli settlers have intensified their attacks on Palestinians to steal their homes, and the Israeli government has approved the largest land seizure in the West Bank in 30 years.

In Gaza, the Israeli army controls about 26% of the land, and has demolished buildings and agricultural land in those areas, potentially paving the way for new Jewish settlements.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also the minister responsible for settlement expansion in the West Bank, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to formally annex the area in response to the International Court of Justice ruling.