The United Nations General Assembly has voted to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians, including support from UN agencies and international organisations.
The Norwegian-drafted resolution was adopted on Thursday with 137 countries in favour, while 12 nations, including Israel and the United States, opposed it, and 22 abstained.
This move follows Israel’s recent decision to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating within its borders starting in late January, alongside other reported obstacles to aid efforts in Gaza over the past year.
The resolution highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and urged Israel to respect international humanitarian law, which requires occupying powers to facilitate relief programmes.
The ICJ, based in The Hague, will provide an advisory opinion on the matter. Although not legally binding, such opinions carry significant political and legal influence.
Israel’s new law does not explicitly ban UNRWA’s activities in Gaza and the West Bank but is expected to hinder the agency’s ability to function. UNRWA has been central to aid distribution in Gaza, where famine risks are reportedly rising due to continued Israeli bombardment of the area.
Israel’s UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, proposed replacing UNRWA with alternative relief mechanisms, citing security concerns. In a letter to the UN Security Council, Danon stated that Israel is open to cooperating with international partners to ensure aid delivery that does not compromise its security.
Israel has accused Hamas of diverting aid for its purposes, a claim denied by the group. Additionally, Israel alleges that some UNRWA staff were linked to Hamas activities, including the October 7 attack, providing no proof of the claims, which the UN addressed by terminating nine employees suspected of involvement.
UNRWA has long been a contentious issue in Israeli-Palestinian relations, as it is the only UN agency dedicated to supporting Palestinian refugees. Critics argue that efforts to undermine UNRWA could jeopardise the recognition of Palestinian refugees’ right of return, a longstanding point of contention since Israel’s admission to the UN in 1949.
