International Court Orders Israel to End Gaza Famine by Ensuring Basic Food Supplies Reach Palestinians

The International Court of Justice has issued a unanimous ruling ordering Israel to cease causing famine in Gaza by ensuring that basic food supplies reach the Palestinians in need. The court ordered Israel to take all necessary and effective measures to provide the needed supplies to the war-torn enclave. Aid agencies have reported that only about one-fifth of the required supplies are currently entering Gaza.

The judges of the World Court ruled that Palestinians in Gaza are not just at risk of famine, but are already experiencing famine. The court ordered Israel to increase the capacity and number of land crossing points to facilitate the inflow of essential supplies and to keep them open for as long as necessary. Israel was given a month to submit a report detailing its compliance with the ruling.

South Africa brought this case accusing Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza, requesting these measures. A senior Hamas official welcomed the ruling but believed it should have gone further by demanding a ceasefire to halt the suffering of the people in Gaza. The United Nations Security Council had recently voted for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, with the United States abstaining from the vote.

Israel has stated it is working to expand humanitarian access to Gaza through various means, but aid agencies argue that these efforts are insufficient. The number of trucks blocked at the border has been described as a moral outrage by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, who urged Israel’s government “to take immediate steps” towards easing restrictions on aid delivery into Gaza.” As of now, there has been no comment from Israel’s foreign ministry regarding this World Court’s ruling