Israel's Gaza aid blockade contested in World Court hearings

UN and Palestinian representatives at the International Court of Justice accused Israel of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into Gaza, on the first day of hearings about Israel's obligations to facilitate aid deliveries.

Since March 2, Israel has completely cut off all supplies to the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip, and food stockpiled during a ceasefire at the start of the year has all but run out.

At the opening of the hearings at the UN's top court, the UN's legal counsel said Israel had a clear obligation as an occupying force to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza. "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," Elinor Hammarskjold said.

Palestinian representative Ammar Hijazi said Israel was using humanitarian aid as "a weapon of war", while people in Gaza were facing starvation.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel had submitted its position in writing to the hearings, which he described as a "circus". Speaking in Jerusalem on Monday, Saar said the court was being politicised, while the UN was failing to root out employees of its Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA who are members of Hamas. "They are abusing the court once again to try and force Israel to cooperate with an organisation that is infested with Hamas," Saar said. "The goal is to deprive Israel of its most basic right to defend itself."

The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in Hamas' October 7, 2023 assault and had been fired. Another Hamas commander, confirmed by UNRWA as one of its employees, was killed in Gaza in October, according to Israel.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, was tasked in December to form an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians that is delivered by states and international groups, including the United Nations.

Israel has repeatedly said it would not allow the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages. It has accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid, which the group denies.

"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, the head of the Palestinian mission to the Netherlands, told the hearing.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow food and medicine into Gaza. Germany, France and Britain last week called to allow the unhindered passage of humanitarian aid into the territory.

Advisory opinions of the ICJ carry legal and political weight, although they are not binding and the court has no enforcement powers.

After the hearings, the World Court will likely take several months to form its opinion.