The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold hearings this week on whether Israel is doing what it should to "ensure and facilitate" aid deliveries to Gaza's civilian population.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution from Norway last year to let the court, the highest instance within the UN framework, clarify whether Israel is acting in accordance with international law in this regard.
The resolution was tabled after Israel decided to ban the UN's aid organization for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) from working on its territory and effectively stopped its work.
Guiding
The court will provide a clear guiding but legally non-binding answer to the question of whether Israel is doing what it should to ensure "unimpeded provision of essential supplies that are crucial for the survival of the Palestinian civilian population".
The UN's various aid agencies working with the Palestinian areas have been sounding the alarm loudly in recent weeks that the humanitarian situation there is the worst so far during the war and on the verge of collapsing completely.
UNRWA's highest chief Philippe Lazzarini has declared that aid is being deliberately used as a bargaining chip in the war – and the escalating famine as a weapon against Gaza's inhabitants.
Broke the Ceasefire
Israel has stopped all influx of humanitarian aid – food, medicine, fuel, etc. – since March 2. On March 18, Israel broke a fragile ceasefire and resumed intensive airstrikes. Up to 2,000 people are reported to have been killed since then.
In the hearings in The Hague, 40 states and four international organizations will be heard. Israel has not requested to speak, but also has the opportunity to respond in writing. Its ally the US, which voted against the original resolution, has planned to appear on Wednesday.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) is the UN's highest court and handles disputes between states.
The ICJ was established with the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. Its judgments and decisions are legally binding for states that have acceded – including Israel – but in practice, the possibilities of ensuring compliance are small.
The court has 15 judges who are elected in stages by the UN General Assembly and Security Council. The current chief judge is Japanese Yuji Iwasawa.
The ICJ should not be confused with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes crimes against humanity and war crimes. The ICC also sits in The Hague, but operates independently of the UN.
