A Week of international Court of Justice Hearings over Israel's Blockade of Aid to Palestinians
International Court of Justice initiates dispute proceedings related to humanitarian duties of Israel towards Palestinians.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is holding a week of hearings beginning on 28 April 2025, in response to a request from the UN General Assembly, to investigate Israel's obligations to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied territories.
This court case focuses on Israel's restrictions on United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its aid blockade implemented since 2 March 2025.
The proceedings kicked off with the UN legal team addressing the court on 28 April, followed by Palestinian representatives. The World Food Programme revealed last week that its food stocks in Gaza had run dry, marking a significant loss of sustenance for alarge number of Palestinians.
Israel, which denies intentionally targeting civilians and aid workers in its conflict with Hamas, maintains that it blocks food, fuel, medicine, and other supplies to put pressure on Hamas and secure the release of hostages.
Israel Declines Attendance
The Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ammar Hijazi, accused Israel in The Hague of "starving, killing, and displacing Palestinians" while also hindering humanitarian organizations trying to save their lives, alleging a breach of international law. No Israeli representatives attended the hearing, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar labeling the proceedings part of an ongoing campaign to persecute and delegitimize Israel.
Israel's ban on UNRWA, implemented in January, was justified on the grounds that the agency had been infiltrated by Hamas. Israel presented its case against UNRWA on 28 April, alleging that the agency failed to act against evidence showing Hamas used its facilities. Amir Weissbrod, a Foreign Ministry official, asserted that UNRWA employed 1,400 Palestinians with ties to militant groups and that some of those employees were involved in Hamas’ 2023 attacks. UNRWA had fired nine staffers following an internal UN investigation.
In total, 40 states and four international organizations are participating in the ICJ case, with the U.S., which voted against the UN resolution, scheduled to speak on 30 April. A decision is expected in months, though it will not be legally binding, but it could significantly impact international jurisprudence, international aid to Israel, and public opinion.
The Israeli government has consistently accused the UN of being unfairly biased against it and has disregarded a 2004 advisory ruling by the ICJ that deemed its West Bank separation barrier illegal, as well as last year's advisory ruling asking Israel to halt settlement activity in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the latter ruling as a "decision of lies."
- Israel did not attend the war-and-conflicts-related International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings over Israel's blockade of aid to Palestinians, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar labeling the proceedings part of an ongoing campaign to persecute and delegitimize Israel.
- The Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ammar Hijazi, accused Israel in The Hague of "starving, killing, and displacing Palestinians" while also hindering humanitarian organizations trying to save their lives, alleging a breach of international law.
- The ICJ case, involving 40 states and four international organizations, also includes Israel's ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which Israel justified on the grounds that the agency had been infiltrated by Hamas.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently accused the UN of being unfairly biased against it, disregarding a 2004 advisory ruling by the ICJ that deemed its West Bank separation barrier illegal, and referring to a recent advisory ruling asking Israel to halt settlement activity as a "decision of lies."
