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STORY: ICJ / ISRAEL OPT ADVISORY OPINION
TRT: 02:53
SOURCE:
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 OCTOBER 2025, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
1. Various shots, judges walk in the Court
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President, International Court of Justice:
“The Court, unanimously, one, unanimously finds that it has jurisdiction to give the advisory opinion requested; two, unanimously, decides to comply with the request for an advisory opinion; three, is of the opinion that the State of Israel, as an occupying power, is required to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law.”
3. Wide shot, Court in session
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President, International Court of Justice:
“These obligations include the following: A, unanimously, 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. B, by ten votes to one, to agree to and facilitate by all means at its disposal relief schemes on behalf of the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory so long as that population is inadequately supplied, as has been the case in the Gaza Strip.”
5. Wide shot, Court in session
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President, International Court of Justice:
“Unanimously, to respect and protect all relief and medical personnel and facilities. D, unanimously,
to respect the prohibition on forcible transfer and deportation in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory. E, unanimously, to respect the right of protected persons from the Occupied Palestinian Territory who are detained by the State of Israel to be visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross. And F, unanimously, to respect the prohibition on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.”
7. Wide shot, Court in session
8 SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President, International Court of Justice:
“As an occupying Power, the State of Israel has an obligation under international human rights law to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including through the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States, in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
9. Various shots, judges walk out
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), today (22 Oct) said Israel must uphold its responsibilities as the “occupying power” by ensuring aid can flow freely and by respecting the rights of the UN and other humanitarian agencies working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In a detailed advisory opinion requested by the General Assembly, the UN’s top court found that Israel is required to “ensure that the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) has the essential supplies of daily life, including food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services.”
The court called on Israel to also “respect and protect” all aid workers, medical personnel and facilities.
By ten votes to one, judges also held that Israel has an obligation to cooperate in good faith with the UN, providing every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, including the Palestine refugee relief agency, UNRWA.
The opinion – requested in December 2024 – addresses Israel’s obligations in relations to the UN and other international organizations and countries vested in humanitarian operations in Palestine.
In a sign of the level of international engagement in the case, 45 States and organizations filed written statements, and 39 presented oral arguments during hearings held from 28 April to 2 May 2025.
The ICJ held that Israel is bound by international humanitarian law and human rights law to respect and protect civilians in the OPT, ensuring that aid workers and medical facilities are safeguarded and that no civilians are forcibly transferred or deprived of food.
Ten of the eleven judges agreed that Israel must respect the privileges and immunities of the UN and its officials, in accordance with the UN Charter.
The ICJ also reaffirmed Israel’s obligation to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to detainees in the OPT and to “respect the prohibition on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.”
