Gaza: On April 24, 2025, the International Court of Justice in The Hague published an itinerary for public hearings set to begin on April 28, 2025, and run into early May, focusing on Israel’s legal duties concerning United Nations, NGO and neutral‐state operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The United Nations General Assembly formally asked the court for an advisory opinion on whether Israel can lawfully limit or bar the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and maintain weeks‐long bans on humanitarian aid entering Gaza. In advance of these hearings, some 45 countries and international organizations have submitted written statements outlining their views
Israel’s government will not send representatives to speak in person but has said it will provide a written submission to the court. The hearings, to be held at the Peace Palace, will examine how international law applies to Israel’s recent measures affecting aid and refugee relief operations in Gaza and the West Bank
These proceedings follow a December 2024 UN General Assembly resolution requesting this legal review, prompted by Israeli legislation banning UNRWA activities after allegations some staff were involved in October 7 attacks. They come amid an eight‐week Israeli blockade cutting off vital food, medicine and aid to Gaza—a move the UN calls a “deliberate dismantling of Palestinian life.”
