Palestine's Ambassador Has Told The ICJ That Israel Is Blocking Aid To Gaza To Erase Palestinians
"Starvation is here. Humanitarian aid is being used as a weapon of war." Ammar Hijazi said.
Palestine’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Ammar Hijazi, has told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel’s actions are part of a “campaign of erasure,” with the intent to "destroy Palestinian people and erase Palestine.”
Speaking in the Hague, the Netherlands, on the first day of the ICJ’s hearings into Israel’s legal obligations to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians on Monday, April 28, Hijazi said Israel is starving, killing and displacing Palestinians while also targeting and blocking humanitarian organizations trying to save their lives.
The hearing followed a request from the UN General Assembly in late 2024, asking the court for an advisory opinion — a legal opinion — on whether Israel is violating international law by blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza after it banned the UNRWA, the main humanitarian agency in Gaza, from operating within Israel and its occupied territories.
The hearings, which began on Monday, April 28, are set to last five days, with more than 39 countries presenting their arguments on whether Israel is complying with international law.
In his speech, Hijazi said that Israeli forces had killed more than 408 UN workers, including almost 300 UNRWA staff, as well as dozens of paramedics and first responders since Oct. 7, 2023.
He condemned Israel killing and subsequently burying 15 medics and humanitarian workers in mass graves in Gaza on March 23, saying the killings are “deliberate, not accidental.”
Hijazi also spoke about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying that "all UN-supported bakeries in Gaza have been forced to shut their doors.”
Israel has completely blocked all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza since March 2, refusing to resume the ceasefire and saying it wants Hamas to release all the remaining hostages.
“Nine of every 10 Palestinians have no access to safe drinking water. Storage facilities of the UN and other international agencies are empty," Hijazi said.
"These are the facts. Starvation is here. Humanitarian aid is being used as a weapon of war," he concluded.
Israel has chosen not to participate in oral arguments, labeling the proceedings a "circus," but has submitted a 37-page written statement defending its actions.
Only the US and Hungary are likely to defend Israel, according to the BBC.
The ICJ’s advisory opinion is expected in a few months, and while it will not be enforceable, it could increase international pressure on Israel to stop its genocide.
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