Table of Contents
- ICJ Ruling Breakdown
- UNRWA Under Fire—and Defense
- Israel’s Response and Aid Reality
- What Comes Next?
- Sources
ICJ Orders Israel to Facilitate Gaza Aid
In a landmark advisory opinion issued Wednesday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Israel to cooperate with United Nations relief agencies—including the controversial UNRWA—and to stop obstructing humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank.
The ruling, though nonbinding, carries significant moral and legal weight. The ICJ emphasized that as an occupying power, Israel is obligated under international humanitarian law to ensure civilians in these territories receive “essential supplies of daily life,” such as food, clean water, shelter, and medicine.
Crucially, the court rejected Israel’s justification for banning UNRWA, the U.N. agency tasked with aiding Palestinian refugees. Israeli officials have accused UNRWA of being infiltrated by Hamas, but the ICJ found that Israel failed to provide sufficient evidence to support broad allegations against the entire organization.
UNRWA Under Fire—and Defense
UNRWA employs roughly 30,000 staff across the region. Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, the agency fired several employees suspected of involvement. Israel claims over 1,000 UNRWA workers have ties to Hamas—a claim the ICJ deemed unsubstantiated based on current evidence.
“The court basically says: ‘We recognize Israel’s security concerns, but security is not a free-standing exception to international humanitarian law,’” explained Adil Haque, an international law expert at Rutgers Law School.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, welcomed the ICJ’s “unambiguous ruling” and affirmed the agency’s readiness to immediately scale up operations in Gaza—provided access is granted.
Israel’s Response and Aid Reality
Israel dismissed the ICJ opinion as politically motivated and reiterated that it does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction in this matter. The government had boycotted oral hearings earlier this year, submitting only written arguments denying any breach of international law.
Despite the ongoing U.S.-backed ceasefire, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire. Between March and May 2025, Israel blocked nearly all aid from entering the territory in an effort to pressure Hamas—a move the U.N. labeled “cruel collective punishment.”
Under current ceasefire terms, Israel now permits around 600 aid trucks daily into Gaza. According to Antoine Renard, the World Food Program’s Gaza director, most residents in southern and central Gaza are now eating at least two meals a day—a marked improvement, though still below pre-war levels.
What Comes Next?
Legal experts suggest this advisory opinion may foreshadow a more consequential ICJ ruling expected later—on whether Israel committed genocide in Gaza, a case initiated by South Africa in 2024. While Wednesday’s opinion stopped short of accusing Israel of violating international law directly, it reinforced global consensus on humanitarian obligations during conflict.
Only one of the ICJ’s 11 judges, Julia Sebutinde, dissented in part—underscoring the near-unanimous stance of the court.
