The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said Israel is obliged to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by the United Nations and its entities to ensure the basic needs of the Palestinian civilians are met.

An advisory opinion from the UN's top court also said Israel had not substantiated its allegations that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) lacked neutrality or that a significant number of its staff were members of Hamas or other armed groups. Unrwa has denied the claims.

Israel rejected the opinion as "political" and insisted it would not co-operate with Unrwa.

The opinion is non-binding, but it carries significant moral and diplomatic weight.

The UN General Assembly asked the ICJ in December for an opinion on Israel's legal obligations towards UN agencies and international organisations operating in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

It came after the Israeli parliament passed laws banning any activity by Unrwa on Israeli territory and contact with Israeli officials.

The ICJ was asked to also cover in its opinion Israel's duty to allow the unhindered delivery of essential supplies to Palestinian civilians.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17pqxzl0yzo

Posted by Naurgul

6 comments

  1. I hope Israel follows this ruling but knowing the lawless terrorists that they are they’ll probably just call the ICJ Hamas and go on starving their victims to death.

  2. The answer is the same as before, “or what?” Unless there is an answer to the “or what?” question, then nothing the ICJ says matters. The UN only exists because the largest nations will it – without them backing it the UN (and its creations) is impotent.

  3. Why must it be UNRWA?
    How can thwy say they’re aren’t biased when their text books incite to violence and Lebanon teachers union rep was a high ranking Hesbulah official? Its beyond madenning.

    Just use UNCHR

  4. Israel already do allow UN bodies deliver aid into Gaza, just not the Hamas adjacent one

    Israel should invite the UNHCR to step in, if they can handle it Guterres might have the balls to do what’s needed with UNRWA

  5. The ICJ didn’t directly get any evidence of UNWRA complicity from Israel. Additionally, Israel did not provide any other forms of documentation to assist the court.

    Although the Opinion piece says Israel must assist UNWRA they won’t as the decades of evidence they have of UNWRA’s complicity dating back to the late 1970’s that they are a hostile actor towards Israel and a threat to their security.

    I tend to agree with that statement.

    Israel’s UNWRA ban will remain where it essentially means that they cannot operate inside Israels borders at all. Saying that, there is nothing stopping UNWRA from operating out of Jordan’s or Egypt’s sovereign territory where they can access the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza.

    No country should be forced to host a hostile actor which is what the UN is trying to do through the ICJ and I suspect no other country would allow a hostile threat to operate in their countries either.

  6. You cannot force Israel to work with UNWRA. There is an actual refugee agency that exists that Israel is willing to cooperate with, use them.

    ICJ can issue many rulings saying Israel must allow UNRWA operate in Israeli territory, but that simply will not happen.

    So, argue about jurisdiction and let food rot, or let somebody else distribute it. I get the idealistic answer, but pragmatism sometimes has to win the day.

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