International Court of Justice: Israel must not use starvation as a weapon in Gaza

The International Court of Justice, the highest legal body under the United Nations, ruled today that Israel should not use weapons of mass destruction in the Gaza Strip.

Yuji Iwasawa, the head of the court, said during the session to issue its advisory opinion regarding Israel’s obligation to aid the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, that “the court remembers Israel’s obligation to not use the civilian population as a means of warfare.”

The court said that Israel is obliged to support the relief efforts provided by the United Nations in the Gaza Strip and its agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

The 11-judge court added that Israel has not proven its claims that a large number of UNRWA employees are “members” of the “Hamas” movement.

The president of the court, Yuji Iwasawa, said that “Israel is responsible for being an occupying force, for the basic needs of the population, including the basic supplies for their survival.”

The International Court of Justice has begun, on Wednesday, the session during which it will issue its verdict regarding the obligations of Israel towards the agencies that provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The head of the court opened the session aimed at providing an “advisory opinion” determining Israel’s obligation to facilitate the delivery of aid to Gaza.

The United Nations asked the International Court of Justice to explain Israel’s obligations, as an occupying power, to the International Organization and other bodies “including guaranteeing and facilitating the provision of urgent and necessary supplies” without obstacles for the “survival” of the Palestinians.