In a ruling, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel, as the occupying power, is legally obligated to ensure the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza are met and must facilitate the relief efforts of United Nations agencies . The court stated that Israel is forced to support the work of the UN and its entities, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and found that Israel has failed to substantiate its claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of Hamas . The ruling emphasizes that the "local population in Gaza Strip has been inadequately supplied" and that Israel cannot use starvation as a method of warfare .
The Israeli government categorically rejected the court's opinion, with its foreign ministry calling it "shameful" and a "political document" . Israel maintains it will not cooperate with UNRWA, which it alleges has become a "breeding ground for terrorists" . In contrast, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the "unambiguous" opinion, stating the agency is ready to immediately scale up the humanitarian response in Gaza . The ICJ itself rejected Israel's argument that the legal request was an abuse of the judicial process .
The ruling comes as a fragile ceasefire has allowed a limited increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza. On the eve of the decision, the UN's World Food Programme reported that 530 trucks had delivered over 6,700 tonnes of food since the truce, enough to feed close to half a million people for two weeks . However, officials note that current daily deliveries of around 750 tonnes remain well below the target of 2,000 tonnes needed to alleviate the humanitarian disaster and the Israeli-induced famine in parts of the enclave .
Wednesday's advisory opinion is one of several major international legal actions against Israel. In July 2024, the ICJ found Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories to be unlawful . The court is also still weighing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention . Separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including using starvation as a weapon of war .