Khaberni - The International Court of Justice will issue its ruling on Wednesday regarding Israel's obligations towards the agencies that provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, while relief organizations rush to increase aid following the ceasefire.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague was asked to provide an "advisory opinion" defining Israel’s duty to facilitate the entry of aid into Gaza.
The United Nations has asked the International Court of Justice to clarify Israel's obligations, as an occupying power, towards the United Nations and other bodies "including ensuring and facilitating the provision of urgent and necessary supplies" without barriers for the "survival" of Palestinians.
Although the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice is not legally binding, the court considers it to carry "significant legal weight and moral authority".
In April, the judges heard testimonies from dozens of countries and organizations over the course of a week, mostly concerning the situation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Israel did not participate in the hearings, but its Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described them as "part of a systematic persecution and delegitimization of Israel".
He told reporters at the time that "it is not Israel that should be judged but the United Nations and UNRWA".
Israel banned the operations of UNRWA in the occupied territories after accusing some of its staff of participating on October 7, 2023.
A series of investigations, including one led by the former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, concluded that there were "issues related to neutrality" at UNRWA.
However, this report, which was released in April 2024, stated that Israel "has not yet provided supporting evidence" for its claim that "a large number of UNRWA staff are members of organizations (..)".
During the hearings at the court in The Hague, American official Josh Simmons expressed "serious concerns" about the integrity of UNRWA and alleged that Hamas uses the agency's facilities.
He added that Israel "is not obligated to mandate UNRWA to provide humanitarian aid specifically" and pointed out that UNRWA is not the only option for delivering aid to Gaza.
Meanwhile, Palestinian official Ammar Hijazi told the International Court of Justice judges that Israel prevents the delivery of aid using that as a "weapon of war", consequently causing famine in Gaza.
