Although the case is technically confined to issues surrounding the barrier, Watts' comments were the latest to question Israel's occupation policies. On Monday, Palestinian delegate Nasser Al-Kidwa told the tribunal the barrier is "about entrenching the occupation and the de facto annexation" of parts of the West Bank.
Speaking on the sidelines of the trial, Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa accused Israel of trying to "annex territories." The 22-member league was scheduled to testify to the tribunal yesterday.
Daniel Taub, a legal adviser for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, accused the Palestinians of trying to do an end-run around the internationally backed "road map" peace plan.
"If they are really concerned about these broader issues, then we have an alternative mechanism to deal with them," Taub said.
The UN General Assembly asked the world court in December to give an advisory opinion on the matter. The court's rulings are not binding, but can be influential.
Whether the court will issue a clear-cut decision, however, remains in question.
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