JERUSALEM: Israel’s violations of the Gaza ceasefire continue, with at least six Palestinians injured in fresh attacks. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli forces opened fire in multiple areas across the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning, wounding six civilians.
Since the signing of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, 93 Palestinians have been killed and 320 others wounded in repeated Israeli assaults. The health ministry further reported that the overall death toll in Gaza has now reached 68,519, while 170,382 people have been injured since the start of the conflict.
The United Nations has stated that at least 1.5 million people in Gaza require urgent humanitarian assistance. Many displaced residents returning to their destroyed homes find only rubble, struggling to access food, water, and other basic necessities.
Meanwhile, illegal Israeli settlers have launched attacks on Palestinian homes, communities, and farmlands in several areas of the occupied West Bank, further escalating tensions in the region.
International Court of Justice
Last week, the United Nations’ top judicial body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its ‘advisory opinion’ stated that Israel is obligated to ensure the basic needs of Gaza’s civilian population are met.
The 11-judge panel further ruled that Israel must facilitate and support relief operations conducted by UN agencies in the Gaza Strip, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The judges noted that Israel had not provided evidence to substantiate its claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees were affiliated with Hamas.
The ICJ emphasized that Israel must allow the smooth delivery of aid into Gaza and guarantee Palestinians access to essential supplies for survival. The ruling came as humanitarian organizations rushed to scale up assistance during a fragile ceasefire reached earlier this month.
Although the ICJ’s advisory opinion is not legally binding, the court maintained that it carries “significant legal weight and moral authority.”
Israel declined to participate in the proceedings, with an official dismissing the case as “an abuse of international law.” The official added that while Israel cooperates with other UN agencies regarding Gaza, it “will not cooperate with UNRWA.”
ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa rejected claims that the proceedings constituted an abuse or weaponization of the international judicial process.
On the eve of the ruling, Abeer Etefa, Middle East spokeswoman for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), said that 530 WFP trucks had entered Gaza since the ceasefire, delivering over 6,700 tonnes of food—enough for about half a million people for two weeks. She added that about 750 tonnes of aid were entering daily, still well below the WFP’s target of 2,000 tonnes per day.
The ICJ reiterated that, as an occupying power, Israel is obligated to ensure the population’s access to essential supplies for survival and must not obstruct their delivery. The court also recalled the prohibition under international law against using starvation as a method of warfare.
The UN requested the ICJ’s opinion to clarify Israel’s obligations as an occupying power, including the duty to ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of life-saving aid to Palestinians.
During the April hearings, dozens of countries and organizations presented evidence, much of it concerning UNRWA’s role. A U.S. representative raised “serious concerns” over UNRWA’s neutrality and alleged Hamas’s use of its facilities, arguing that Israel was under no obligation to permit UNRWA specifically to provide aid. However, the ICJ noted that UNRWA “cannot be replaced on short notice without a proper transition plan.”
Palestinian representative Ammar Hijazi accused Israel of using aid restrictions as a “weapon of war,” exacerbating starvation in Gaza.
This case is separate from other ongoing international proceedings concerning Israel’s actions in Gaza. In July 2024, the ICJ issued another advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories “unlawful” and calling for its immediate end.
The court is also considering South Africa’s case alleging that Israel violated the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
