International court rules Israel must allow UN aid into Gaza to meet basic needs.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said that Israel is obligated to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by the UN and its entities, including the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa). The ICJ's advisory opinion, which was read out at a session in The Hague on Wednesday, stated that Israel must ensure that the population of the Gaza Strip has access to essential supplies such as food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services.
The court also ruled that Israel had not substantiated its allegations that Unrwa lacks neutrality or that a significant number of its staff are members of Hamas or other armed groups. The ICJ's President Yuji Iwasawa stated that the panel of international judges agreed that Israel, as an occupying power, was required to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law.
The advisory opinion came after the Israeli parliament passed laws banning any activity by Unrwa on Israeli territory and contact with Israeli officials. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said he hoped that Israel would abide by the "very important decision", while Unrwa's Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, described it as "unambiguous".
However, Israel rejected the ICJ's opinion as "political" and insisted it would not co-operate with Unrwa, which it has banned. The Israeli foreign ministry said that the laws banning Unrwa took effect in January had already led to significant restrictions on the agency's activities and aid deliveries to Gaza.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with over 640,000 people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and an "entirely man-made" famine declared by UN-backed global experts. The ICJ's ruling has been welcomed by Unrwa and the Palestinian foreign ministry, who call on Israel to lift its ban on the agency and allow other international organizations to operate freely and safely in the territory.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said that Israel is obligated to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by the UN and its entities, including the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa). The ICJ's advisory opinion, which was read out at a session in The Hague on Wednesday, stated that Israel must ensure that the population of the Gaza Strip has access to essential supplies such as food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services.
The court also ruled that Israel had not substantiated its allegations that Unrwa lacks neutrality or that a significant number of its staff are members of Hamas or other armed groups. The ICJ's President Yuji Iwasawa stated that the panel of international judges agreed that Israel, as an occupying power, was required to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law.
The advisory opinion came after the Israeli parliament passed laws banning any activity by Unrwa on Israeli territory and contact with Israeli officials. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said he hoped that Israel would abide by the "very important decision", while Unrwa's Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, described it as "unambiguous".
However, Israel rejected the ICJ's opinion as "political" and insisted it would not co-operate with Unrwa, which it has banned. The Israeli foreign ministry said that the laws banning Unrwa took effect in January had already led to significant restrictions on the agency's activities and aid deliveries to Gaza.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with over 640,000 people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and an "entirely man-made" famine declared by UN-backed global experts. The ICJ's ruling has been welcomed by Unrwa and the Palestinian foreign ministry, who call on Israel to lift its ban on the agency and allow other international organizations to operate freely and safely in the territory.
i remember when unrwa got banned from gaza and everyone was like "what's gonna happen to all that aid?" and now it seems like icj finally said something about it 
but israel's still being all stubborn about it, refusing to cooperate... can't they just let people live without food & water? 
it's heartbreaking to hear that they're struggling with basic needs like food, water, and shelter 
the ICJ's ruling is a huge step forward, but i hope israel takes it seriously 
no more restrictions on humanitarian aid 
let's keep our fingers crossed for a better future in gaza 
can't believe israel's gonna play dumb on this one... like they didn't see that coming from the ICJ 
. all these laws banning Unrwa were just a PR stunt, right? and now they're claiming it's all about maintaining security? sure, Israel, when was the last time you actually secured your borders with anything but walls and checkpoints? 
honestly i'm so tired of these forum rules where you can't even have a proper discussion about something like this... if u wanna get all technical about icj rulings, fine, but what's the point if we're not gonna actually talk to each other 
like wut does this ruling even mean in practice? israel justa gonna magically start delivering aid 2 gaza now? or is this just another empty victory 4 unrwa and palestine? 
. The thing is, when you're the occupying power, there are these super important rules that gotta be followed (International Humanitarian Law, basically 
). Its not just about giving aid and stuff, its about respecting the rights of those people living under your "protection" 
.
, they're real lives at stake 
. Israel's got the power to make a difference here, and its up to them to take responsibility for what happens next 
just think about it, another court says we gotta help gaza, finally some progress! 
but on the bright side, this could be a chance for israel to show the world they're willing to work with international orgs & prioritize human rights... fingers crossed it happens 
And now the ICJ is saying that Israel has a responsibility to ensure these people have access to what they need.
It's time for them to step up and show they care about human rights. I mean, we're talking basic stuff here - people need food, water, shelter, medical supplies... it's not rocket science! 
. The ICJ's ruling is like, super clear - Israel has to let UN aid into Gaza 
. I mean, come on Israel, you can't just block essential supplies because of some laws 
. It's not about neutrality, it's about basic human rights 
! Unrwa's been doing amazing work for years 
. Let's keep pushing for change and hope that Israel listens to the ICJ's decision 
idk how anyone can live like that without basic human rights 1 billion dollars aid isn't gonna cut it they need real help not just some political gesture 
ICJ is doing its job now it's up to israel to step up or get held accountable 
at least the ICJ spoke up & said whats good for human rights, you feel? 
. It's about time someone held them accountable 
. I mean, how can you have a functioning society when people are going hungry? 
. Unrwa's role is to help those folks, so it's not like they're causing any harm 
.