THE International Court of Justice (ICJ) began five days of hearings against Israel’s illegal use of starvation as a weapon of war against Palestine yesterday.
The case has been brought by Turkey and 39 other countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, the African Union, and the United Nations against Israel over its decision to ban UNRWA’s activities in Palestine.
The hearings continue for five days, with the judges hearing submissions from all countries joining in the case.
In December, 2024, 137 countries voted at the UN General Assembly in favour of referring the case to the ICJ, with only 12 countries opposing it.
On Saturday, the administration of US President Donald Trump decided to lift the immunity of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and no longer consider it part of the United Nations, thus allowing it to be prosecuted in United States courts.
On Monday, February 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a law banning UNRWA which was approved by the majority of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) members.
On October 28, 2024, the Knesset approved two laws prohibiting UNRWA from carrying out any activities inside 1948 occupied Palestine, revoking the privileges and facilities granted to it, and prohibiting any official contact with it.
The ban on UNRWA’s work in the occupied Palestinian territories came into effect on January 30.
It prohibits UNRWA from operating any representative office, providing any service, or conducting any activity, directly or indirectly, in Palestine.
Elinor Hammarskjold, a Swedish lawyer and diplomat who has served as the UN’s undersecretary-general for Legal Affairs and its Legal Counsel since 2025, told the court: ‘No humanitarian aid or commercial goods have been allowed into Gaza since March 2nd, which has had devastating humanitarian consequences.’
Ammar Hijazi, Palestine’s ambassador to the Netherlands, said: ‘Israel has not allowed food, water, medicine, medical supplies, or fuel into Gaza for over two months, with the Israeli Supreme Court supporting this policy by rejecting multiple petitions for aid, leading to a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, including deaths by starvation.
‘Israel is attempting to destroy the Palestinian people and erase Palestine, including by barring and obstructing humanitarian organisations, thus also violating its obligations under the UN Charter and other instruments of international law.’
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