World Court to Issue Opinion on Israel’s Obligations to Facilitate Aid for Palestinians

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) — the United Nations’ top legal body — will deliver an advisory opinion on Wednesday outlining Israel’s obligations toward the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza and the West Bank.

Requested by the U.N. General Assembly in December, the opinion is expected to draw close international attention, as its implications could extend far beyond the current Gaza conflict. Observers anticipate that it will clarify the protections states are required to provide to U.N. personnel and humanitarian workers worldwide.

While ICJ advisory opinions carry significant legal and political weight, they are non-binding and the court lacks any direct enforcement power.

In April, U.N. lawyers and Palestinian representatives before the ICJ accused Israel of violating international law by restricting humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza between March and May. Although Israel later permitted some assistance, U.N. officials have said the aid remains insufficient to ease what they describe as a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe.

Earlier this month, under a U.S.-brokered 20-point ceasefire plan, up to 600 trucks of aid per day were allowed to enter Gaza. Israel has previously accused Hamas of diverting food and supplies meant for civilians — an allegation Hamas denies — and has argued that aid restrictions were meant to pressure the militant group.

Israel did not appear at the ICJ hearings, though it submitted a written statement outlining its legal position. In April, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar dismissed the proceedings as a “circus,” claiming the court was being politicized.

The U.N. request for an advisory opinion followed a 2023 Israeli law banning the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating inside Israel. The law alleged that the agency had employed Hamas members involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Last August, the U.N. said that nine UNRWA staff members might have participated in the assault and were subsequently dismissed. Israel later claimed that a Hamas commander killed in Gaza in October 2024 had also been identified as a UNRWA employee.

In an earlier 2024 advisory opinion, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was illegal and should end immediately. The court also reaffirmed that, as an occupying power, Israel bears human rights obligations toward the Palestinian population.

The ICJ is scheduled to begin reading its opinion at 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT).