A ‘Legal Process to Persecute Israel’: UN Court Holds Hearings on Israel’s Block on Aid Into Gaza

Latest Developments

• UNRWA Ban at Heart of Case: Hearings are ongoing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague over questions relating to Israel’s legal obligations concerning the supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the work of UNRWA, the UN agency catering exclusively to the descendants of Palestinian refugees. Israel’s parliament banned UNRWA from operating on Israeli territory — and halted cooperation between the Israeli government and UNRWA — after evidence emerged that at least nine of the agency’s employees participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas mass atrocities, with hundreds more terror group affiliates also on its payroll. Since March 2025, Israel has reportedly blocked humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages it continues to hold captive.
• Israel Refuses to Participate in ‘Circus’: Israel is not participating in the proceedings, which Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar labeled a “circus.”  “It is another attempt to politicize and abuse the legal process in order to persecute Israel,” Sa’ar stated. “What we will do from now on is to delegitimize the delegitimizers.” The UN General Assembly generated the current ICJ proceedings when, on December 19, 2024, it requested an advisory opinion from the ICJ on Israel’s obligations “in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations … in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including to ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies.”
• Saudi Arabia Claims Israel Plans to ‘Annex’ Gaza: Saudi Arabia’s representative, Mohamed Saud Alnasser, denounced Israel’s “hideous conduct,” accusing Jerusalem of “bringing about the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip … to make room for Israel to settle and annex the territory.” Other countries addressing the proceedings included South Africa, whose representative claimed that Israel’s ban on UNWRA was intended to “imperil the existence of Palestinians as a group,” and Belgium, whose representative asserted that “Israel has no right to sovereignty over any part of the occupied Palestinian Territory and cannot exercise sovereign powers there by virtue of its occupation.” In a statement on April 23, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Hamas was stealing  aid intended for civilians, arguing that the Jewish state is not “obliged to allow in aid if it is ‘likely to assist the military or economic efforts of the enemy.’”

FDD Expert Response

“Today’s ICJ proceedings exemplify how the UN system has become unfairly weaponized against Israel.  Israel’s detractors are yet again twisting the law and facts so that the UN system is too distracted by false accusations against Israel to focus on real human rights violations by Hamas, Iran, China, and Russia.” — Orde Kittrie, Senior Fellow

“The ICJ is a lynch mob with robes and wigs, not a court of law. Of the more than 40 interested parties speaking at The Hague this week, only a handful can be expected to say anything remotely favorable regarding Israel. As usual, the UN condemns Israel as the party with responsibilities while unburdening the Palestinians as the party with rights.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

“In civilized societies, legal proceedings are rooted in the presumption of innocence. The ICJ routinely dispenses with this requirement when it comes to Israel, presenting demonizing tropes about the Jewish state as legitimate evidence. Israel is right to view these latest hearings with contempt.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director

FDD Background and Analysis

“‘Predetermined Outcome’: Amnesty International Report Amplifies ‘Genocide’ Charge Against Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“ICJ Delivers Biased Ruling Against Israel on West Bank and Jerusalem,” FDD Flash Brief

“The Pending Israel-Palestine ICJ Advisory Opinion: Threats to Legal Principles and Security,” by Orde Kittrie and Bruce Rashkow

“Pending ICJ Case Threatens to Demand Unconditional Israeli Withdrawal from West Bank,” by Orde Kittrie