ICJ says Israel must allow UN aid deliveries to Gaza to meet basic needs

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said Israel is obliged to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by the United Nations and its entities to ensure the basic needs of the Palestinian civilians are met.

An advisory opinion from the UN’s top court also said Israel had not substantiated its allegations that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) lacked neutrality or that a significant number of its staff were members of Hamas or other armed groups. Unrwa has denied the claims.

Israel rejected the opinion as “political” and insisted it would not co-operate with Unrwa.

The opinion is non-binding, but it carries significant moral and diplomatic weight.

The UN General Assembly asked the ICJ in December for an opinion on Israel’s legal obligations towards UN agencies and international organisations operating in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

It came after the Israeli parliament passed laws banning any activity by Unrwa on Israeli territory and contact with Israeli officials.

The ICJ was asked to also cover in its opinion Israel’s duty to allow the unhindered delivery of essential supplies to Palestinian civilians.

Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza after the start of its war with Hamas two years ago and has since restricted – and at times completely stopped – the entry of food and other aid for the 2.1 million population.

Before this month’s ceasefire deal took effect, UN-backed global experts had estimated that more than 640,000 people were facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and that there was an “entirely man-made” famine in Gaza City.

Israel rejected the famine declaration, insisting it was allowing in sufficient food.

The ICJ’s advisory opinion was “entirely predictable from the outset regarding Unrwa”, the Israeli foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

“This is yet another political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of ‘international law,'” it added.

Unrwa’s acting Gaza director, Sam Rose, told the BBC that the agency welcomed the ICJ’s opinion because it “underscores the obligations of Israel under international law”.

“The ruling of today says that Israel’s laws against Unrwa have gone against those obligations, as have its actions on the ground,” he said.