UN and Palestinians challenge Israel’s Gaza blockade at ICJ
The case focuses on claims that Israel is failing in its obligations to allow life-saving aid into Gaza.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday opened hearings into Israel’s handling of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with United Nations and Palestinian officials accusing Israel of violating international law by blocking assistance.
The case focuses on claims that Israel is failing in its obligations to allow life-saving aid into Gaza, where 2.3 million people are facing severe shortages.
Since March 2, Israel has reportedly cut off all aid supplies to the Gaza Strip, worsening an already dire situation after earlier stockpiles of food gathered during a temporary ceasefire ran out.
UN legal counsel Elinor Hammarskjold told the court that Israel, as an occupying power, is bound by international law to permit humanitarian assistance to reach the civilian population.
"In the specific context of the current situation in the occupied Palestinian Territories, these obligations entail allowing all relevant UN entities to carry out activities for the benefit of the local population," Hammarskjold said.
Representing the Palestinians, Ammar Hijazi accused Israel of weaponising humanitarian aid, saying people in Gaza were now facing starvation due to the blockade.
He argued that Israel’s actions were intended to destroy the basic foundations of life for Palestinians.
"This case is about Israel destroying the fundamentals of life in Palestine, while it blocks the UN and other providers of humanitarian aid from providing life-saving aid to the population," Hijazi, head of the Palestinian mission to the Netherlands, told the court.
Israel, meanwhile, rejected the claims and declined to appear before the judges in person. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel had already provided its arguments in writing and criticised the hearings as a political spectacle.
Speaking in Jerusalem, Saar said the court was being used for political purposes while the United Nations was failing to act against individuals within its Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA.
"They are abusing the court once again to try and force Israel to cooperate with an organisation that is infested with Hamas terrorists," Saar said.
The ICJ was asked in December to issue an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations regarding humanitarian aid access to Palestinians.
The hearings mark another major legal challenge for Israel amid growing global concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The outcome of the case could further influence international opinion on Israel’s military and political actions in Gaza, as the court examines whether international law is being breached through the continued blockade on aid supplies.