Israel will face charges of violating international law over its refusal to let humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip when dozens of countries present their arguments at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) during a week of hearings that begin in The Hague on Monday.
Israel has completely cut off food supplies to the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million residents since 2 March, and food stocks built up during a ceasefire earlier this year have all but run out.
In December, the UN’s top court was tasked with issuing an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to the Palestinians from states and international groups, including the UN.
Israel has said it will not allow the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza until Hamas releases all remaining hostages.
Germany, France and Britain last week called on Israel to respect international law by allowing unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza, after Israel confirmed that no aid would be allowed into Gaza to put pressure on Hamas.
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow food and medical supplies into the besieged Palestinian territory.
The resolution, adopted in December by 137 of 193 nations at the UN General Assembly, called on Israel to honour its obligations to the Palestinian population as it expressed “grave concern” about the dire humanitarian situation. After the hearing, the World Court is likely to take several months to formulate its opinion.
