The International Court of Justice is hearing about Israel’s obligation to facilitate humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank
The case follows a request from the UN General Assembly last year for the court to give guidance after Israel banned the UN agency Unrwa from operating
Since March, Israel has blocked all aid from reaching Gaza, leading to international agencies warning of severe food shortages
Unrwa is the main provider of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, but Israel has accused it of being infiltrated by Hamas – an allegation that has been challenged
The hearings began with submissions from UN and Palestinian representatives, with a top Palestinian official accusing Israel of blocking aid as a “weapon of war”
Israel will not make an oral submission this week – its foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said on Monday morning that the UN “has become a rotten, anti-Israel, and antisemitic body”
The hearing is set to run for five days, ending on Friday – you can watch live at the top of the page. There will not be regular text updates
The court’s opinion, which will be advisory and non-binding, is not expected for months