The International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations issued a legal opinion on Wednesday, stating that Israel, as an occupying power, is obliged to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in coordination with UN agencies.
The opinion was requested by the UN General Assembly in December, following Israel’s decision to approve laws that restricted the operations of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, in Gaza.
While the ICJ’s opinion is not legally binding, it carries significant political weight and is expected to increase pressure on Israel to cooperate with the UN and humanitarian agencies.
“An occupying power cannot use security concerns to block all humanitarian actions,” stated Judge Iwasawa Yuji.
“After reviewing the evidence, the court finds that the population of Gaza is being supplied insufficiently,” the opinion added.
