The United States told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday that Israel is obligated to provide aid to Gaza but is not required to collaborate with the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees. This came during a week of hearings where the court is discussing Israel’s responsibilities in delivering humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, following a request for an advisory opinion from the U.N. General Assembly last year.
Josh Simmons, a legal advisor from the U.S. State Department, told the court that Israel’s security interests must be considered, and it is not legally required to allow a specific international organization like UNRWA to operate in occupied territories if it compromises those interests. Simmons suggested that other organizations could fulfill UNRWA’s mission.
In January, Israel banned UNRWA from operating in its territory, accusing 19 of the agency’s staff members in Gaza of involvement in a Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people and triggered the war. UNRWA conducted an internal investigation and fired nine staffers, but the evidence linking them to Hamas was not confirmed. Israel later accused 100 other Palestinians in Gaza of being Hamas members, although no evidence was provided to the U.N.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized the case, accusing UNRWA and the U.N. of politicizing international law to undermine Israel’s right to defend itself. Israel is not directly participating in the hearings but has submitted written arguments.
The Russian Federation, which followed the U.S. in presenting its arguments, emphasized the importance of UNRWA’s work for the Palestinian people, highlighting the agency’s widespread support from the international community. Maksim Musikhin of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the situation in Gaza as dire, with hospitals destroyed, millions facing hunger, and widespread despair. He also suggested that UNRWA deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts.
The hearings are taking place as Gaza’s humanitarian situation deteriorates. Israel has blocked the entry of essential supplies like food, fuel, and medicine since March 2, and renewed bombardments in mid-March have intensified the crisis. The World Food Program recently announced that its food supplies in Gaza have been exhausted, leaving many Palestinians struggling to feed their families.
On Monday, the Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ammar Hijazi, accused Israel of violating international law in the occupied territories, claiming that Israel is starving, killing, and displacing Palestinians while obstructing humanitarian efforts to save lives.