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At Opening of ICJ Hearing, Israel Accused of Using Aid as “Weapon of War”

HeadlineApr 28, 2025

In Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed 23 Palestinians so far today after Israeli forces killed at least 53 people on Sunday, including six who were killed when Israel bombed a cafe near the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has announced it has run out of food to distribute in Gaza due to Israel’s two-month-long blockade.

Earlier today, the International Court of Justice began a five-day hearing on Israel’s obligations to provide aid to Gaza. Palestinian envoy Ammar Hijazi accused Israel of using humanitarian aid as “weapons of war.”

Ammar Hijazi: “That’s really the heart of why Palestine and over 40 other states are addressing the court today. It is not about the number of aid trucks Israel is or is not allowing into the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially Gaza. It is not about Israel destroying the — it is about Israel destroying the fundamentals of life in Palestine while it blocks U.N. and other humanitarians from providing lifesaving aid to the population. It is about Israel unraveling fundamental principles of international law, including their obligations under the U.N. Charter. It is about Israel turning Palestine, and particularly Gaza, into a mass grave for Palestinians and those coming to their aid.”

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