By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel must fulfill their obligation in accordance with International Law to fully allow and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip by the United Nations (UN) and similar entities, in order to fulfill the needs of the civilian population of Palestine.
Israel has rejected the ruling made by the ICJ which was made on Wednesday 22 October 2025, as Israel has also made allegations that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is working with Hamas, a claim that has not been substantiated by evidence.
“Israel categorically rejects the ICJ’s advisory opinion, which was entirely predictable from the outset regarding UNRWA” said Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oren Marmorstein on X.
Marmorstein has also claimed that this ruling is nothing more than a mere political measure that aims to suppress Israel and use international law to manipulate the situation. “This is yet another political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of International Law” added Marmorstein.
This ruling by the ICJ follows the wide-range attempts by different aid groups to offer assistance to the civilians of Palestine who have received the brutal end of this war, as well Israel failing to honour their ceasefire agreement which was made earlier in the month.
“With huge amounts of food and other life saving supplies on standby in Egypt and Jordan, Unrwa has the resources and expertise to immediately scale up the humanitarian response in Gaza and help alleviate the suffering of the civilian population” said Marmorstein on X.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) had welcomed the ruling as they feel as though it is clear that Israel must cease their illegal approach to this law. ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa had made it clear through his reading of the Advisory Opinion of the ICJ, that this matter is not linked to the ongoing case that South Africa has against Israel, citing that Israel is perpetrating a genocide against Palestine
. “The court does not find this argument convincing as there is a clear difference between the respective subject matters of the two proceedings. In the present advisory case the court mandate is limited to the identification of Israel’s obligations as an occupying power and as a member of the United Nations in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations and in relation to the occupied Palestine territory,” said Iwasawa in his reading of the advisory opinion at The Hague Court on Wednesday.
Judge Iwasawa had stated that the panel of 11 judges had come to a consensus that Israel had an obligation as an occupying power to fulfill their humanitarian duties onto the people of Palestine, as well as stating that Israel was also obligated to operate in good-faith in regards to their cooperation with the United Nations.
Israel was meant to provide any means necessary to offer any assistance to any organizations aimed at providing aid to civilians.
Unrwa had reported that 309 of their staff members have been killed as well as 72 other people that were supporting Unrwa ever since the war began, as well as Israeli attacks killing a total of 68,229 people.
“The ruling of today says that Israel’s laws against Unrwa have gone against those obligations, as have its actions on the ground,” said Unrwa’s acting Gaza director Sam Rose.
“Israel must immediately lift the unlawful ban on Unrwa and allow all other international organisations invited by Palestine to operate freely and safely,” stated by the advisory committee of The Palestinian Foreign Committee.