World Court Demands Immediate Action to Ease Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: What You Need to Know

The International Court of Justice issued a ruling on Thursday demanding that Israel take immediate action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The court unanimously ordered Israel to increase the capacity and number of land crossing points to facilitate the inflow of essential supplies and keep them open for as long as necessary.

According to the judges, Palestinians in Gaza are already experiencing famine, with only about one-fifth of the required supplies currently entering the enclave. The court ordered Israel to ensure that basic food supplies reach those in need, and called on South Africa, which brought the case accusing Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza, to submit a report detailing its compliance with the ruling within a month.

A senior Hamas official welcomed the ruling but believed it should have gone further by demanding a ceasefire to halt the suffering of the people in Gaza. The United Nations Security Council had recently voted for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, with the United States abstaining from the vote.

Israel has stated that it is working to expand humanitarian access to Gaza through various means, but aid agencies argue that these efforts are insufficient. The number of trucks blocked at the border has been described as a moral outrage by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. As of now, there has been no comment from Israel’s foreign ministry regarding the World Court’s ruling.