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War & humanitarian law

Apartheid (legal term & findings)

Apartheid is a crime under international law defined by institutionalized racial discrimination,segregation and systematic oppression by one racial group over another.

Why it matters

Prominent Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organizations, as well as UN special procedures, conclude that Israel's rule over Palestinians constitutes apartheid.

Key context

The International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court define apartheid as an international crime. In its July 2024 advisory opinion, the ICJ addressed racial discrimination and segregation under Article 3 of CERD in the OPT.

Sources