Israel is ordered by the UN Supreme Court to open additional land crossings so that supplies may enter Gaza

Hague: On Thursday, the highest court of the United Nations ruled that Israel must take action to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including expanding the number of land crossings that enable supplies such as gasoline, food, and water to enter the enclave devastated by conflict.
Two fresh so-called provisional measures were granted by the International Court of Justice in a case submitted by South Africa, which accused Israel of committing crimes of genocide during its military assault that followed the Hamas bombings on October 7.

Israel has denied that genocide is taking place, alleging that South Africa is attempting to “undermine Israel’s inherent right and obligation to defend its citizens.”
The decision on Thursday was issued in response to South Africa’s request for more interim measures, such as a cease-fire, citing Gaza’s hunger crisis. Israel, which had pleaded with the court not to issue any further directives, said that it does not impose any restrictions on aid reaching Gaza and promised to “promote new initiatives” to bring in more funding.
The court issued a legally binding decision for Israel to act “without delay” in order to guarantee “the unhindered provision” of humanitarian aid and essential necessities like food, fuel, water, and medical supplies.
Additionally, Israel was given an order to make sure that its military does not behave in a way that might violate the rights of Palestinians as guaranteed by the Genocide Convention, such as by impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The court ordered Israel to provide a report on how it was carrying out the instructions within a month.
Following a brutal cross-border raid by Hamas on October 7 that claimed 1,200 lives and kidnapped 250 more, Israel declared war. Over 32,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s bombings and ground offensive in response, according to local health officials.
The Ministry of Health in Hamassprint Although Gaza does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, it is estimated that women, children, and teenagers make up around two-thirds of the deceased. Although it has not shown any proof, Israel claims that more over one-third of the fatalities were terrorists. It also holds Hamas responsible for civilian deaths because the organisation operates in residential neighbourhoods.
In addition to causing extensive damage and uprooting more than 80% of Gaza’s inhabitants, the war has also triggered a humanitarian catastrophe. Almost all Gazans, according to the U.N. and foreign relief organisations, are having difficulty getting adequate food, with hundreds of thousands facing starvation, particularly in the region’s hardest-hit northern Gaza.
South Africa praised the judgement on Thursday, describing it as “significant.”
The president of South Africa said in a statement that “the fact that Palestinian deaths are not solely caused by bombardment and ground attacks, but also by disease and starvation, indicates a need to protect the group’s right to exist.”
The Islamic terrorist organisation Hamas, which has vowed to destroy Israel, said that the world community has to uphold the decision.
“It must be implemented immediately, so that this decision does not remain a dead letter,” it said.
Thanking South Africa, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry described the lawsuit as “a vital step in the global effort to hold Israel accountable for perpetrating genocide.”
Israel started to let humanitarian aid into Gaza after first closing its borders during the conflict. It claims that it does not impose any limitations on the quantity of humanitarian assistance that may reach Gaza and charges the UN for arranging the supplies improperly. The army claimed on Tuesday to have examined 258 relief vehicles; however, the United Nations had only dispersed 116 of them inside Gaza.
Deliveries have been hindered, according to the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations, by Israeli military limitations, continuous fighting, and the collapse of public order.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that South Africa was engaging in “cynical attempts” to subvert Israel’s right to self-defense and secure the release of the other captives by taking advantage of the international court. Israel claims that a hundred hostages and the bodies of thirty more people who were either slain on October 7 or died while being held captive are still being held by Hamas.
“Israel will continue to promote new initiatives, and to expand existing ones, in order to enable and facilitate the flow of aid to the Gaza Strip … despite the operational challenges on the ground and Hamas’ active and abhorrent efforts to commandeer, hoard and steal aid,” it said.
Israel has been collaborating with foreign partners on a plan to start shipping relief by water in the near future.
Israel and the UN have a history of conflict, especially with regard to UNRWA, which is the primary humanitarian organisation in Gaza and the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA refutes Israel’s accusations that the organisation tolerates and even collaborates with Hamas.
“Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine… but that famine is setting in,” the court said in its ruling. It referenced a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stating that malnourishment and dehydration had already claimed the lives of at least 31 individuals, including 27 children.
Previous rulings against Israel issued during historic hearings in the South African case, according to the international court, “do not fully address the consequences arising from the changes in the situation” in Gaza.
In order to attempt to provide relief to the destroyed northern portion of the Strip, COGAT, the Israeli military authority responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, has also conducted experimental programmes to assess humanitarian supplies at Israel’s key checkpoints in the south. These programmes include using land crossings in central Gaza. The organisation did not immediately respond to the ICJ’s decision.