Riyadh, The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has welcomed the opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), regarding the illegality of the continuing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza for 57 years. In a statement, the GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi said that this legal opinion confirms and reinforces the Palestinian people's attainment of their legitimate and legal rights in accordance with international and United Nations resolutions to regain the Palestinian territories seized by the Israeli occupation forces. The settlement decisions and attempts to change the geography carried out by the Israeli occupation forces are illegitimate measures that do not enjoy any regional or international recognition, and do not change anything on the ground, stressing that the seized Palestinian territories will remain Palestinian and an inherent right of the Palestinian people, the statement said. It reiterated the firm positions of the GCC countries towards the Palestinian cause, and support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to obtain their state. Source: Oman News Agency