ICJ Reviews Israel’s UNRWA Ban

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday commenced hearings to assess Israel’s obligations under international law to facilitate humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The proceedings follow a request from the United Nations General Assembly, seeking an advisory opinion on whether Israel’s ban on cooperation with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) violates the UN Charter.

Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ammar Hijazi, argued before the court that Israel is not only starving, killing, and displacing Palestinians but is also obstructing humanitarian organizations striving to save civilian lives.

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the proceedings, characterizing them as part of a broader campaign of delegitimization against Israel. He asserted that the UN and UNRWA themselves should be subject to scrutiny.

Over 40 countries are scheduled to deliver testimonies during the five-day session in The Hague. Israel has declined to provide oral arguments but has submitted written observations.

The hearings come amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has described as the most severe since the start of Israel’s military operations against Hamas in 2023.

Following Israel’s imposition of a full blockade last month, aid deliveries have been halted, UN-supported bakeries have shut down, and food supplies have been depleted, according to the World Food Programme.

Israel maintains that its blockade is a strategic effort to pressure Hamas to release hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attacks. However, the ICJ’s forthcoming advisory opinion, though non-binding, could carry significant political weight.

Israel formally banned UNRWA operations within Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem in November, citing concerns of Hamas infiltration within the agency—an accusation that remains disputed. UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering food aid, healthcare, and education across Palestinian territories.

Addressing the court, UN Undersecretary-General for Legal Affairs Elinor Hammarskjöld emphasized that any security measures taken by an occupying power must not impede impartial humanitarian organizations from fulfilling their mandates.

The ICJ is simultaneously handling a separate case brought by South Africa, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza—an allegation Israel has strongly denied.

Israeli officials have decried what they describe as systematic double standards applied against their country, noting that Israel has appeared before the ICJ more frequently than any other nation.