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The International Court of Justice said Israel should work with U.N. agencies, not hinder their relief efforts in Gaza. The court’s opinions are not legally binding but carry symbolic weight.
Oct. 22, 2025, 1:18 p.m. ET
The International Court of Justice said on Wednesday that Israel should cooperate with U.N. relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank, not impede them.
The Hague-based court’s opinion centered on Israel’s responsibility to allow international aid agencies to operate in areas that much of the world considers occupied Palestinian territory. The court, a branch of the United Nations, issued the ruling at the request of the U.N. General Assembly.
Much of the opinion delivered on Wednesday focused on Israel’s attempts to curb the work of the U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, known as UNRWA. Israeli officials have sought to ban the agency, accusing it of being infiltrated by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
But the International Court of Justice said in its opinion that Israel should not to interfere with UNRWA’s work in the West Bank and Gaza.
Israel and Hamas are currently observing a U.S.-backed cease-fire that the Trump administration hopes will end the Gaza war. Under the truce, Israel has begun allowing more desperately needed aid into Gaza, although humanitarian officials say more still is needed.
Yuji Iwasawa, the court’s president, read out the ruling on Wednesday which said that Israel, as an occupying power, is responsible for ensuring that people living in the West Bank and Gaza have “the essential supplies of daily life,” including food and shelter.
