UN Court Mandates Israel To Permit Food And Medical Supplies Into Gaza

To prevent a famine, Israel has been ordered by the UN High Court to permit the unrestricted entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared in a majority ruling that Israel had to take immediate action “to allow the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.”

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that hunger is “setting in” in Gaza and that 31 people, including 27 children, have already perished from starvation and dehydration. The UN observers noted that the situation was becoming more dire.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled unanimously that Israel must take action “without delay to allow the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.”

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, made remarks last week regarding the “situation of hunger, starvation, and famine” that were taken into consideration by the court. He stated that the majority of the population had been displaced, vital civilian infrastructure had been destroyed, and Israel had imposed extensive restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial goods.

According to the ICJ, Israel had to: “take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full co- operation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale... of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.”

This comes after Israel referred to reports as “wholly unfounded” and issued fears that starvation may strike Gaza within a few weeks.

In response to the court decision, the Israeli foreign ministry stated that it will keep working with the UN and others “to promote new initiatives, and to expand existing ones to allow a continuous flow of aid into Gaza by land, air, and sea.”

It said that Hamas was to blame for both the war's beginning and the state of affairs in Gaza.

The Hague court's most recent decision was made in response to a request from South Africa to support an injunction that required Israel to take all necessary precautions to stop acts of genocide in Gaza in January.

South Africa stated that as a signatory to the 1948 Genocide Convention of the United Nations, it was obliged to take action to avoid genocide.

The African National Congress (ANC), which is in power, has a long history of supporting the Palestinian cause, and the nation has been strongly critical of Israel's military action in Gaza.

While the ICJ's orders are legally enforceable, the court is unable to carry them out. The only UN entity with the authority to propose actions meant to try to enforce compliance is the UN Security Council.

According to the statement, the most essential aid was food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothes, and hygiene and medical supplies.

The ongoing battle started on October 7, when militants led by Hamas broke through the border into Israel, murdering about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250 more.

Approximately 130 people were seized, at least 34 of them are thought to be killed and are unaccounted for.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 32,623 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is overseen by Hamas. More than twenty-five thousand of the dead were women and children, according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this month.

Despite the UN Security Council passed a resolution earlier this week demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has vowed to continue its mission to destroy Hamas.

The largest hospital in Gaza, al-Shifa, is home to thousands of displaced patients. The Israeli force recently conducted another strike there.

Recently, the largest hospital in Gaza, al-Shifa, where hundreds of displaced patients are seeking shelter, was the target of another strike by the Israeli military.