International Court orders Israel to allow aid to Gaza
The top court of the United Nations (UN) has ordered Israel to allow the unhindered flow of aid into Gaza and prevent a famine. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) called on Israel to act “without delay” in allowing the supply of “urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.”
This comes after warnings that Gaza could be hit with a famine within weeks. Israel has responded to allegations that it has blocked aid, calling the claims “wholly unfounded.”
The Israeli foreign ministry said that it will continue “to promote new initiatives, and to expand existing ones” in allowing the continued flow of aid into Gaza “by land, air, and sea,” as it works with the UN and others.
It said that Hamas is to blame for the current situation in Gaza and for starting the war. The latest rulings from the court in The Hague comes following South Africa asking it to bolster an order to Israel in January to take every step possible to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.
South Africa said that Israel had an obligation to act to prevent genocide as it was a signatory of the UN’s 1948 Genocide Convention. It has been critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza and its ruling African National Congress (ANC) has a history of solidarity with Palestine.
While orders issued by the ICJ are legally binding, the court does not have the power to enforce them. The UN Security Council is the sole body of the UN that can introduce measures to ensure that a nation complies.
