International Court of Justice Tells Israel to meet Palestinians’ Basic Needs in Gaza

The United Nations’ top legal body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel is under an obligation to ensure the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza are met.

The panel of 11 judges added that Israel must support relief efforts provided by United Nations entities in the Gaza Strip, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

“As an occupying power, Israel is obliged to ensure the basic needs of the local population, including the supplies essential for their survival,” presiding judge Yuji Iwasawa said. He added that such needs include food, water, shelter, fuel and medical services.

Advisory opinions of the ICJ, also known as the World Court, carry legal and political weight but are not binding, and the court has no enforcement powers.

Israel Rejects Opinion

The opinion, which was requested by the UN General Assembly in December, clarified the protections states must provide for UN staff and is expected to have implications beyond the Gaza conflict.

In a post on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it categorically rejected the court’s findings, adding that “Israel fully upholds its obligations under international law.”

Israel banned UNRWA from operating in Gaza last year, alleging that some of its employees were members of Hamas or affiliated groups. The ministry said the United Nations had yet to fully investigate the extent of Hamas involvement in UNRWA and insisted that Israel would not cooperate “with an organisation that is infested with terror activities.”

The ICJ judges on Wednesday found that Israel had not substantiated its claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees were Hamas members.

In April this year, lawyers for the United Nations and Palestinian representatives at the ICJ accused Israel of violating international law by refusing to allow aid into Gaza between March and May, during which Israel had completely cut off all goods, accusing Hamas fighters of stealing aid.

 

Since then, some humanitarian assistance has been allowed in, but UN officials say it remains far below what is required to avert a humanitarian catastrophe that has already crossed into famine.

 

A ceasefire agreed this month calls for Israel to allow 600 trucks of aid per day, but the UN says far fewer are entering so far.

 

The ICJ opinion found that Palestinians in Gaza were inadequately supplied and stressed that Israel cannot use starvation as a weapon of war.

 

Paul Reichler, a lawyer acting for the Palestinians, said the findings showed Israel was not complying with its international law obligations.

 

“On the one hand, you have the court finding that starvation as a method of warfare is illegal, and on the other, the court found that Israel deliberately prevented food from reaching the civilian population in Gaza,” he said.

 

UNRWA, which serves millions of Palestinians by running schools and aid distribution centres, employs more than 30,000 people.

 

In an earlier advisory opinion in 2024, the ICJ found that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was illegal and should end immediately.

 

The court also said that Israel had human rights obligations towards the Palestinians because of its position as an occupying power.

 

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