The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday ordered Israel to increase the number of land routes for aid deliveries to Gaza, where people are on the brink of famine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The ICJ warned that “Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine ... but famine is setting in,” with at least 31 people, including 27 children, having already died of malnutrition and dehydration.
The court stated that “while air and sea routes are helpful under the present circumstances, there is no substitute for land routes and entry points from Israel into Gaza to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of food, water, medical and humanitarian assistance.”
The ICJ also urged Israel to ensure that “its military does not commit acts which constitute a violation of any of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza as [a] protected group under the Genocide Convention, including by preventing, through any action, the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance.”
Thursday’s order came after South Africa sought more provisional measures in its legal case, which accused Israel of acts of genocide in its military campaign launched after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.
Israel Responds to ICJ
Israel, which denies claims of genocide, said that it “places no limitations on the amount of essential humanitarian aid that enters the Gaza Strip” and “wishes no harm to the civilian population.”“This includes ongoing efforts to increase the scale, and means of access for such aid despite the operational challenges on the ground and Hamas’s active and abhorrent efforts to commandeer, hoard, and steal aid,” he added.
Mr. Haiat accused South Africa of undermining Israel’s “inherent right and obligation” to defend its citizens from the ongoing Hamas attacks and to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
“To this day, Hamas terrorists continue to attack the citizens of Israel and are using the civilian population of Gaza as human shields.
“Hamas displays utter disdain for international law and the lives of civilians, Israelis and Palestinians alike, and deliberately harms the humanitarian efforts aimed at helping the population of Gaza,” he stated.
Israel declared war in response to a bloody cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were taken hostage.
Israel responded with a campaign of airstrikes and a ground offensive that have left over 32,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
The fighting has displaced over 80 percent of Gaza’s population, caused widespread damage, and sparked a humanitarian crisis. The U.N. and international aid agencies say virtually the entire Gaza population is struggling to get enough food, with hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine, especially in hard-hit northern Gaza.
