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“Starvation as a Weapon of War”: ICJ Orders Israel to Restore Access to U.N.-Led Aid Agencies

HeadlineOct 23, 2025

The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to restore access to the United Nations to deliver food and other basic necessities into the Gaza Strip. The advisory opinion from the U.N.’s top court also found Israel had not provided evidence to back its claims that the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, lacked neutrality or that a significant number of its staff were members of Hamas. Yuji Iwasawa is president of the ICJ.

Judge Yuji Iwasawa: “In its final section on international humanitarian law, the court explains that custom international law prohibits the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare.”

Israel condemned Wednesday’s ruling and said it would not abide by the court’s instructions. The Trump administration also condemned the opinion, with the State Department declaring it “Another corrupt ruling by the ICJ.”

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