The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations’ top legal body, will on Wednesday issue an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations to U.N. and other aid organisations operating in Gaza and the West Bank.
The opinion, requested by the U.N. General Assembly in December, is expected to clarify the extent of protections states must provide for U.N. staff worldwide. Though non-binding, ICJ advisory opinions carry significant legal and political weight and can influence international norms and policy.
In April, lawyers representing the United Nations and Palestinian authorities accused Israel of breaching international law by blocking humanitarian assistance to Gaza between March and May. While Israel has since permitted limited aid deliveries, U.N. officials say the relief remains grossly insufficient to address the worsening humanitarian crisis.
The 20-point ceasefire plan brokered by the United States earlier this month allows up to 600 aid trucks daily into Gaza. Israel, however, maintains that some supplies are being diverted by Hamas, an allegation the group denies, and insists restrictions are part of efforts to pressure the militants.
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Israel declined to appear before the ICJ but submitted its position in writing. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar previously dismissed the hearings as a “circus,” accusing the court of politicisation.
The U.N.’s request for the opinion followed Israel’s 2023 law banning the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, from operating in the country. Israel claimed the agency had employed members of Hamas involved in the 7 October 2023 attacks. The U.N. later confirmed that nine UNRWA staff were dismissed over alleged involvement, while Israel said another employee linked to Hamas was killed in Gaza in October 2024.
In a separate advisory opinion earlier this year, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was illegal and should end immediately, reaffirming Israel’s human rights obligations as an occupying power.
