THE HAGUE: UN and Palestinian representatives at the International Court of Justice accused Zionist entity of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into Gaza, on the first day of hearings about Zionist obligations to facilitate aid deliveries. Since March 2, Zionist entity has completely cut off all supplies to the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip, and food stockpiled during a ceasefire at the start of the year has all but run out.

At the opening of the hearings at the UN’s top court, the UN’s legal counsel said Zionists had a clear obligation as an occupying force to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza. “In the specific context of the current situation in the occupied Palestinian Territories, these obligations entail allowing all relevant UN entities to carry out activities for the benefit of the local population,” Elinor Hammarskjold said. Palestinian representative Ammar Hijazi said Zionist entity was using humanitarian aid as “a weapon of war”, while people in Gaza were facing starvation.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Zionist entity had submitted its position in writing to the hearings, which he described as a “circus”. Speaking in Jerusalem on Monday, Saar said the court was being politicized, while the UN was failing to root out employees of its Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA who are members of Gaza militant groups. “They are abusing the court once again to try and force Zionists to cooperate with an organization that is infested with Hamas terrorists,” Saar said. “The goal is to deprive Zionist entity of its most basic right to defend itself.”

The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in October 7, 2023 assault and had been fired. Another Hamas commander, confirmed by UNRWA as one of its employees, was killed in Gaza in October, according to Zionists. The ICJ, also known as the World Court, was tasked in December to form an advisory opinion on Zionist obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians that is delivered by states and international groups, including the United Nations.

Zionist entity has repeatedly said it would not allow the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages. It has accused Hamas of hijacking humanitarian aid, which the militant group denies.

“This case is about (Zionist entity) destroying the fundamentals of life in Palestine, while it blocks the U.N. and other providers of humanitarian aid from providing life-saving aid to the population,” Hijazi, the head of the Palestinian mission to the Netherlands, told the hearing. US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had pushed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow food and medicine into Gaza. Germany, France and Britain last week called to allow the unhindered passage of humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian territory. Advisory opinions of the ICJ carry legal and political weight, although they are not binding and the court has no enforcement powers. After the hearings, the World Court will likely take several months to form its opinion.­ — Reuters