Israel Must Enable Gaza Aid, UN Says Access to North Still Stymied Despite Ceasefire
By The Media Line Staff
The United Nations and the International Court of Justice said Wednesday in Geneva and The Hague that Israel must allow humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza, where aid groups report ongoing difficulty delivering supplies to the enclave’s north more than 10 days into a ceasefire. UN agencies cite the closure of the Zikim and Erez crossings—direct routes to northern Gaza—as the key operational barrier, even as population movements from south to north top 425,000 since Oct. 10.
In a legally nonbinding advisory opinion requested by the UN General Assembly, the ICJ affirmed that Israel “is under an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes under Article 59 of the Fourth Geneva Convention,” adding that the occupying power may not suspend all humanitarian activity on security grounds. The court urged Israel “to ensure that the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory has the essential supplies of daily life, including food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services,” and to respect and protect relief and medical personnel and facilities.
On the ground, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported progress scaling operations in central and southern Gaza since Oct. 10, but called the aid reaching the north a “trickle.” Andrew Saberton, deputy executive director of the UN Population Fund, said the agency moved some equipment through Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem, including incubators and fetal monitors, yet “the trickle of aid being allowed to enter Gaza after the ceasefire is nowhere near enough.” Of 10 coordinated missions on Tuesday, six were facilitated, OCHA said, including collections of water tanks, hygiene kits, and fuel.
UN Relief and Works Agency operations have faced repeated disruptions during the conflict, while prior ICJ emergency measures directed Israel to improve humanitarian access. The new advisory opinion broadens that message, emphasizing obligations “by all means at its disposal,” including cooperation with UN entities and third states, to keep aid flowing across Gaza.
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