What is the ICJ examining in hearings on Israel’s UNRWA ban in Gaza?
On Monday, the UN’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), began its first day of a weeklong hearing on Israel’s legal obligation to ensure and facilitate aid deliveries to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The hearings examine Israel’s obligation to cooperate with UN agencies and the legality of its ban of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). At Monday’s hearing, Palestinian legal representatives described Israel’s blockade of humanitarian supplies to Gaza as a “weapon of war.” Israel has refused to participate in the hearing, describing the UN as biased. Israel also disputes the shortage of aid in Gaza, and says it’s entitled to block aid, claiming that Hamas seizes it for its own use.
Credit DW News