Egypt Daily News – The United States stated during a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague that Israel cannot be forced to allow UNRWA to operate in Gaza, emphasizing Israel’s “serious concerns” about the integrity of the international organization.
On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, a U.S. official told the court that there are “serious concerns” regarding the neutrality of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The court’s judges are holding a week-long series of hearings to help them issue an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations toward UN agencies delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Last year, Israel passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in the Palestinian territories, claiming the organization employed members of Hamas who took part in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
In August, the international organization said that nine UNRWA staff members might have been involved in the attack and had been dismissed. Another Hamas commander, reportedly an UNRWA employee in Gaza, was killed in October, according to Israel.
Hamas is an armed Palestinian Islamist group that is classified as a terrorist organization by Germany, the European Union, the United States, and other countries.
In December, the United Nations General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion on Israel’s responsibilities in facilitating aid provided by states and international entities, including the UN, to Palestinians.
An investigation led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna found some “issues regarding neutrality” within UNRWA but noted that Israel had not provided evidence for its main allegation.
On the third day of the hearings, the United States said Israel has the right to determine which organizations can provide basic needs to residents of the occupied Palestinian territories. Joshua Simonds, legal adviser to the U.S. State Department, said, “The occupying power retains discretion over the relief plans it allows.”
He added, “Even if the relief provider is a neutral humanitarian organization and a key actor, the law of occupation does not compel the occupying power to allow or facilitate relief operations by that specific actor.” Simonds also emphasized Israel’s “serious concerns” about UNRWA’s integrity.
At the opening of the hearings on Monday, UN and Palestinian representatives accused Israel of violating international law by denying the entry of aid into Gaza. Since March 2, Israel has completely cut off supplies to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, and nearly all food stocks stored during the earlier ceasefire have run out.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in Jerusalem on Monday that Israel had submitted its position in writing to the hearings, which he described as “a performance.”
On Monday, Palestinian Ambassador Ammar Hijazi said Israel is using the denial of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza “as a weapon of war.” He told the judges, “Nine out of ten Palestinians have no access to safe drinking water. The storage facilities of the UN and other international agencies are empty.” He added, “These are facts. This is a process of starvation.”
Advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice are not legally binding, but such an opinion would increase diplomatic pressure on Israel.
Simonds stated that the court should not focus on what he called a “one-sided” issue targeting Israel alone. He argued that “no conclusion should be drawn regarding compliance with any specific obligations in these proceedings or the legal consequences of any alleged violation.”
