• Moumi Mousumi
• 28 Apr, 2025

A top Palestinian official has accused Israel of deliberately blocking vital humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling it a “Weapon of War” during hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Starting April 28th, 2025 the UN’s highest court is examining Israel’s obligations to allow aid into war-torn Gaza where millions face starvation. This article breaks down the crisis, the hearings and the global response in simple terms.

Details & Context
The ICJ began a week-long series of hearings on April 28th, 2025 to investigate Israel’s legal duties to facilitate humanitarian aid for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents. Palestinian official Ammar Hijazi told the court that Israel’s aid blockade, intensified since March 2nd, 2025 has crippled Gaza’s lifeline. Bakeries supported by the UN have shut down, 90% of Palestinians lack safe drinking water, and aid storage facilities are empty, per Reuters. The hearings involving 40 countries and organisations, aim to produce a non-binding “advisory opinion” on Israel’s actions which carries significant moral and legal weight, per Al-Monitor.

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Israel halted all aid deliveries to Gaza after a ceasefire collapsed in mid-March, following 15 months of conflict sparked by Hamas’ October 7th, 2023 attack which killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians, per Jordan Times. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,243 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, with 2,111 deaths since March 18th, 2025, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, deemed reliable by the UN. The blockade has displaced 500,000 Palestinians, worsening what the UN calls the “worst” humanitarian crisis in Gaza’s history, per Fox 11 Tri Cities.

Israel not attending the hearings, denies using aid as a weapon, claiming Hamas diverts supplies. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the ICJ proceedings a “circus” and accused the UN of failing to address Hamas ties within its refugee agency, UNRWA, per Reuters. The United States, Israel’s ally, will participate on April 30th, 2025, after voting against the UN resolution prompting the hearings, per AP News. The ICJ’s ruling, expected in months, could shape global views on Israel’s conduct, per The Guardian.

Quotes

·      Ammar Hijazi, Palestinian Official (Al-Monitor, April 28th, 2025): “Starvation is here. Humanitarian aid is being used as a weapon of war. All UN-supported bakeries in Gaza are closed and nine out of ten Palestinians have no safe water.”

·      Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Envoy to the UN (Sanford Herald, April 28th, 2025): “We’re building a case against Israel, block by block. The arc of justice is bending toward Palestine.”

·      Oren Marmorstein, Israeli Foreign Ministry (Washington Post, April 24th, 2025): “Israel rejects claims of politicising aid. There’s no food shortage in Gaza; Hamas seizes supplies.”

·      X User @AJEnglish (April 18th, 2025): “Gaza’s humanitarian system faces total collapse due to Israel’s seven-week aid blockade. #GazaCrisis #AidBlockade”

Additional Information
The Gaza crisis stems from Israel’s strict control over aid inflows, a policy tightened since March 2025, per Amnesty International Australia. During a January 19th to March 1st, 2025 ceasefire, limited aid entered Gaza but far below needs with only 186 trucks daily compared to 500 pre-war, per Human Rights Watch. Since the blockade resumed, famine-like conditions have surged, with 345,000 Palestinians facing catastrophic food insecurity, per The Guardian. X posts from @NRC_Egeland (April 17th, 2025) highlight 34 aid trucks stuck at Gaza’s borders, with critical supplies exhausted.

European nations including Germany, France and the UK condemned the blockade on April 24th, 2025 warning of starvation and disease risks, per Washington Post. They urged Israel to comply with international law which mandates unhindered aid as an occupying power, per Al Jazeera. Israel’s Supreme Court, however, rejected a March 2024 petition by NGOs like Gisha, claiming Israel’s obligations are limited during active conflict, a stance contradicting the ICJ’s July 2024 ruling that Gaza remains occupied, per Just Security.

The ICJ hearings follow South Africa’s 2024 genocide case against Israel, which led to orders for aid facilitation ignored by Israel per Amnesty International. The International Criminal Court’s 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli leaders Netanyahu and Gallant, citing starvation as a war crime, add legal pressure, per AP News. X posts from @SuppressedNws (April 16th, 2025) quote Israel’s Defence Minister Katz admitting the blockade as a “pressure tool” against Hamas, fuelling war crime allegations.

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Impact Analysis
The Gaza aid blockade has catastrophic humanitarian, legal, and geopolitical impacts.

·      Humanitarian: Over 876,000 Palestinians face emergency-level food insecurity with children dying from starvation and preventable diseases, per The Guardian. Sewage overflows and unremoved waste (180,000 tons in Gaza City) threaten epidemics, per The Guardian.

·      Legal: The blockade violates international humanitarian law which prohibits starvation as a warfare method, per Amnesty International Australia. The ICJ’s advisory opinion could strengthen accountability efforts, though enforcement remains challenging, per Al-Monitor.

·      Geopolitical: The crisis strains Israel’s ties with allies like France and the UK who face domestic pressure to curb arms sales, per Washington Post. Protests in Europe and the US, amplified on X with #GazaCrisis, signal growing global outrage, per @AJEnglish.

Economically, Gaza’s markets are collapsing, with flour and medicine scarce or unaffordable, per Al Jazeera. Socially, the blockade deepens Palestinian despair, risking unrest while Israel’s narrative of targeting Hamas loses credibility amid civilian suffering, per The Guardian. Critically, mainstream sources like Reuters may downplay Israel’s intent while X posts reveal raw sentiment, suggesting deliberate deprivation over security concerns, necessitating a balanced view.

The ICJ hearings spotlight Israel’s aid blockade as a dire humanitarian and legal crisis in Gaza. Accusations of using starvation as a “Weapon of War” underscore the urgency of global action to restore aid flows. While Israel denies wrongdoing, the mounting death toll and international condemnation demand accountability. The non-binding ICJ opinion could shift narratives but immediate aid is critical to save lives. This article, optimised for SEO and social engagement, aims to amplify Gaza’s plight and drive change.

Call to Action (CTA)
Stand for Gaza’s people.! Follow and share The Daily Hints for updates on the ICJ hearings and humanitarian crisis. Join the global call for justice on X with #GazaCrisis and demand aid access now.!