From the podium facing the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) 12 judges, nearly every speaker warned the court about the emergency in Gaza. Since Monday, April 28, diplomats and lawyers from 40 countries and three multilateral organizations made their pleas at the United Nation's highest judicial body in The Hague.

The ICJ's judges are due to determine Israel's legal obligations as an occupying power and a UN member, with regard to humanitarian aid sent to Palestinians in the occupied territory. Since March 2, Israel has blocked all aid from entering the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli bombardment ever since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

"It's about the survival of millions of Palestinians," said Alain Pellet, counsel and advocate for Palestine, on Monday, April 28. The week's hearings at the ICJ stemmed from an attempt at international protest following the Israeli parliament's October 2024 vote on two laws that effectively prohibit the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in the enclave and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The Israeli authorities have, for months, accused the UN organization of having links with Hamas, though without providing any tangible evidence.

You have 82.45% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.