The world’s top court has ordered Israel to “ensure urgent humanitarian assistance” in Gaza without delay, saying “famine has set in”.
“Israel shall take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, the unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance,” in Gaza, the International Court of Justice said on Thursday.
“Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but famine is setting in,” the Hague-based court said.
Israel’s relentless campaign has killed at least 32,552 people, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.
At the ICJ, South Africa has charged that Israel is perpetrating a genocide in Gaza, an accusation denied by Israel.
Pretoria dragged Israel before the court, saying it was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, and urging the court to order a ceasefire.
In a ruling in mid-January that made headlines worldwide, the ICJ ordered Israel to do everything it could to prevent genocide during its Gaza offensive.
The court also ruled that Israel must allow aid into Gaza to ease the desperate humanitarian situation there.
