UN court examines Israel’s role in Palestinian aid crisis
The top court of the United Nations has started hearings on Israel’s obligation of aid for Palestinians, amid its obstruction of aid entering Gaza going on for over 50 days, Al-Monitor via AFP reported on April 28th.
According to the BBC on April 28th, Israel is not among the 38 nations speaking at the hearings during the week. However, Israel has submitted a 37-page written statement to the court. In it, Israel details its claim that Hamas has infiltrated the UNRWA and argues that it is entitled to end cooperation with the organization to safeguard its own security.
The United States and Hungary are the only nations willing to support Israel in court, according to reporters. Ammar Hijazi, the Palestinian ambassador to International Organisations in The Hague, initiated the hearings with a statement. He charged Israel with a “genocidal campaign” against Palestinians and claimed Israel’s “crimes” exposed Palestinians to irreversible damage.
The League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the African Union will also make submissions.
In December 2024, the UN’s General Assembly endorsed a resolution seeking an ICJ advisory opinion “with the utmost urgency.” The UN urged judges to explain Israel’s legal duties toward the UN and its agencies, international bodies, and third-party nations. The organisation also asked judges to ensure Israel “facilitate[s] the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population.”
The collapse of the two-month ceasefire in March uprooted approximately 500,000 Palestinians, according to the UN’s estimate. Israel resumed airstrikes on March 18th, and since then, over 2,111 Palestinians have lost their lives.
Al-Monitor via AFP, BBC
