DaysofPal-The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark ruling on Wednesday ordering the Israeli occupation to take immediate measures to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip, ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, and end the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
In the same decision, the Court rejected the Israeli claims against the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), affirming the agency’s neutrality and indispensable humanitarian role.
In its statement, the ICJ emphasized that the Israeli occupation must facilitate the operations of United Nations humanitarian programs, including UNRWA, to allow the delivery of essential aid and services to Gaza’s population.
The Court ruled that the Israeli occupation is legally obligated to guarantee basic needs, including food, water, shelter, and medical care, for residents of the besieged enclave.
The Court further ordered the Israeli occupation to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to all detainees held in the occupied Palestinian territories, ensuring humane treatment and adherence to international law.
In a strongly worded section of the ruling, the ICJ stated that Israeli cannot use starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, describing the practice as a grave violation of international humanitarian law and a potential war crime.
It also reaffirmed that the Israeli occupation must respect and protect human rights in the occupied territories, even during conflict or armed hostilities.
Addressing the Israeli accusations against UNRWA, the ICJ determined that the Israeli occupation failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate its claims that the agency’s employees are affiliated with Hamas or other groups.
After reviewing the available documentation, the Court concluded that UNRWA has not violated the principle of neutrality nor engaged in discriminatory aid distribution.
The Court also recognized UNRWA’s vital and irreplaceable role in delivering humanitarian relief across the occupied territories, particularly in Gaza, noting that the agency constitutes a fundamental part of the region’s humanitarian infrastructure.
The ICJ stressed that no other organization could assume UNRWA’s role without a carefully prepared transitional framework, underscoring the indispensable nature of its operations amid the ongoing crisis.
“The ceasefire must not become an excuse to delay accountability or humanitarian access,” the Court stated, urging the Israeli occupation to comply fully with its international obligations and facilitate relief efforts without obstruction.
Legal observers described the ruling as a major development in international accountability efforts, placing renewed pressure on the Israeli occupation to adhere to humanitarian law and dismantle policies that have deepened Gaza’s humanitarian disaster.
The ICJ’s decision also reaffirms UNRWA’s legitimacy as a neutral humanitarian actor and a lifeline for millions of Palestinians living under occupation and blockade, a role, the Court said, that remains “irreplaceable under the current circumstances.”
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