Israel Uses Aid Blockage as ‘Weapon of War’: Palestinian Diplomat Tells ICJ
A top Palestinian diplomat told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday that Israeli blockade on supplies in Gaza represented a “weapon of war,” according to AFP.
“Starvation is here. Humanitarian aid is being used as a weapon of war,” Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi said.
Hijazi accused the Israeli occupation of killing and displacing Palestinian in Gaza. “Israel is starving, killing and displacing Palestinians while also targeting and blocking humanitarian organizations trying to save their lives,” he told the court.
Currently, the ICJ is holding a week of hearings concerning Israel’s obligations to the UN, including aid agencies, in war-ravaged Gaza before giving a non-binding “advisory opinion.”
Importantly, Israel is not taking part in the hearings. However, its ally, the US, will participate on Wednesday.
“All UN-supported bakeries in Gaza have been forced to shut their doors. Nine of every ten Palestinians have no access to safe drinking water,” Hijazi added.
The UN agency revealed that Gaza has not received any humanitarian or commercial supplies for over seven weeks as a result to the closure of all main border crossing points. This blockade marks the longest closure in Gaza since the beginning of the war.
Despite the growing hunger crisis in Gaza, Israel has previously denied that Gazans are facing bad living conditions.
In addition, the Israeli occupation has accused Hamas of exploiting aids.
As a response, the Palestinian Group has denied such accusations.
The UN has asked the ICJ to issue its rule “with the utmost urgency” on the case but will likely take several months to reach its opinion.
Hamas-Israel War
Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed at least 52,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 116,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
On April 25, US President Donald Trump revealed that he pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow the entry of food and medicine into Gaza.
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