UN: Israel Must Allow Aid Into Gaza    10/23 06:12

   The International Court of Justice said on Wednesday that Israel must allow 
the U.N. aid agency in Gaza, known as UNRWA, to provide humanitarian assistance 
to the Palestinian territory.

   THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- The International Court of Justice said on 
Wednesday that Israel must allow the U.N. aid agency in Gaza, known as UNRWA, 
to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory.

   The Hague-based court was asked late last year by the U.N. General Assembly 
to determine Israel's legal obligations after the country passed laws 
effectively banning the agency, the main provider of aid to Gaza, from 
operating there.

   Israel "is under the obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes 
provided by the United Nations and its entities, including UNRWA," ICJ 
President Yuji Iwasawa said.

   Israel has not allowed UNRWA to bring in its supplies since March. But the 
agency continues to operate in Gaza, running health centers, mobile medical 
teams, sanitation services and school classes for children. It says it has 
6,000 trucks of supplies waiting to get in.

   The commissioner-general of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a message on 
X that he welcomed "the unambiguous ruling by the International Court of 
Justice today."

   "With huge amounts of food & other life saving supplies on standby in Egypt 
& Jordan, UNRWA has the resources & expertise to immediately scale up the 
humanitarian response in Gaza & help alleviate the suffering of the civilian 
population," he added.

   Ceasefire to consider

   The advisory opinion from the World Court comes as a fragile U.S.-brokered 
Gaza ceasefire agreement, which took effect on Oct. 10, continues to hold.

   Israel has denied it has violated international law, saying the court's 
proceedings are biased, and the country didn't attend hearings in April. 
However, Israel provided a 38-page written submission for the court to consider.

   In a written statement, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the 
opinion and said Israel "fully upholds its obligations under International Law."

   It added, in a reference to UNRWA, that Israel "will not cooperate with an 
organization that is infested with terror activities."

   U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres called the ruling "an important 
decision" and said he hoped that Israel will abide by it.

   "This decision comes at a moment in which we are doing everything we can to 
boost our humanitarian aid in Gaza," Guterres told The Associated Press in 
Geneva. "So the impact of this decision is decisive in order for us to be able 
to do it to the level that is necessary for the tragic situation in which the 
people of Gaza still is."

   UNRWA ban

   UNRWA has faced criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 
his far-right allies, who say the group is deeply infiltrated by Hamas.

   The agency rejects that claim, and the ICJ found that Israel hadn't 
"substantiated the allegations," Iwasawa said.

   The court also held that the population of the Gaza Strip had been 
"inadequately supplied," and that Israel was required to ensure "the basic 
needs of the local population" are met.

   Representatives of the Palestinians applauded the decision. Speaking to 
reporters after the hearing, Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar 
Hijazi said it was "clear, unequivocal and conclusive" and left Israel with "no 
pretext, no context, no excuse" to ban UNRWA.

   In its written submission, Israel argued that the court should reject the 
request from the U.N. General Assembly, because it was too similar to other 
advisory opinions and the judges lacked the fact-finding abilities to make a 
determination.

   Advisory opinion

   In an advisory opinion last year, the court said that Israel's presence in 
the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on it to end, and 
for settlement construction to stop immediately. That ruling fueled moves for 
unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

   Israel condemned the decision, saying it failed to address the country's 
security concerns.

   Two decades ago, the court ruled that Israel's West Bank separation barrier 
was "contrary to international law." Israel boycotted those proceedings, saying 
they were politically motivated.

   Advisory opinions carry significant legal weight, but are described as 
"nonbinding" as there are no direct penalties for ignoring them.

   Wednesday opinion is separate from the ongoing proceedings initiated by 
South Africa, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel rejects 
South Africa's claim and accuses it of providing political cover for Hamas.

   Arrest warrant for Netanyahu

   Last year, another Hague-based tribunal, the International Criminal Court, 
issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav 
Gallant, alleging that the pair have used "starvation as a method of warfare" 
by restricting humanitarian aid and have intentionally targeted civilians -- 
charges that Israeli officials strongly deny.

   The advisory opinion from the ICJ noted that Israel "is not to use 
starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare."

   The opinion provides "strong legal support for the case against Netanyahu" 
said Tom Dannenbaum, professor of law at Stanford University.

   The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel 
on Oct. 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people, mostly civilians, dead and 250 taken 
hostage. Israel's retaliatory offensive in the Palestinian territory has killed 
more than 68,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

   The ministry's figures, which don't distinguish between civilians and 
combatants, are seen as the most reliable by U.N. agencies and independent 
experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.