Top UN court orders Israel to allow food and medical aid into Gaza

The U.N.’s top court ordered Israel to allow unhindered aid into Gaza to avert famine.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said in a unanimous decision that Israel must act “immediately” to allow “the provision of… urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance”.

It comes after warnings that famine could hit Gaza within weeks.

Israel calls its accusations of blocking aid “completely baseless.”

In response to the court order, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it would continue to “promote new initiatives and expand existing ones” and work with the United Nations to keep aid flowing into Gaza “by land, air and sea.” and others.

The report said Hamas was responsible for the situation in Gaza and for starting the war.

The Hague court’s latest ruling comes after South Africa asked it to support an order issued to Israel in January to take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza.

Although orders issued by the ICJ are legally binding, the court lacks enforcement powers. The UN Security Council is the only UN body that can take steps to ensure compliance.

The report said that 2.2 million people in Gaza “face severe acute food insecurity” and that famine is expected to occur in the northern part of the region by the end of May.

Famine occurs when a country suffers from severe food shortages, causing its population to face severe malnutrition, starvation, or death.

In its ruling, the ICJ said Gaza was “no longer just at risk of famine” but “famine is coming” and, according to UN observers, 31 people, including 27 children, have died of malnutrition and dehydration.

The court also noted comments by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Walker Türk, who said last week that “situations of hunger and famine” were “the result of Israel’s extensive restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial supplies”. Goods were displaced, most of the population was displaced, and critical civilian infrastructure was destroyed”.

The ICJ said Israel must “take all necessary and effective measures to ensure the immediate and full cooperation with the United Nations and the unhindered and large-scale delivery of … urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance”.

The most needed assistance includes food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing and hygiene and medical supplies, the report said.

Aid trucks have been queuing in recent months as they wait to enter Gaza from Egypt, and Israel has conducted complex and arbitrary inspections of aid supplies.

Israel further says Hamas takes most of the aid entering Gaza and accuses the United Nations of failing to distribute the remaining aid to civilians.

The current conflict began with an attack on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led gunmen crossed the border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage.

Of those taken away, approximately 130 are still missing, and at least 34 of them are presumed dead.

The Hamas health ministry in Gaza said Israel’s retaliatory actions have killed at least 32,552 people. Earlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said more than 25,000 of the victims were women and children.