U.N. General Assembly asks court to say what Israel needs to provide in Gaza

U.N. General Assembly seeks ICJ guidance on Israel's obligations for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and West Bank.

The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution on Thursday (December 20, 2024) asking the U.N.'s highest court to State what Israel's obligations are in Gaza and the West Bank to provide humanitarian assistance essential for the survival of Palestinian civilians.

The vote on the Norwegian-sponsored resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice was 137-12, with 22 abstentions. The United States, Israel's closest ally, voted against the resolution.

Resolutions in the 193-member General Assembly are not legally binding, though they do reflect world opinion.

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It follows the ICJ's condemnation of Israel's rule over lands it captured 57 years ago. In a non-binding opinion in July, the court said Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on Israel to end its occupation and halt settlement construction immediately.

Thursday's resolution also follows Israeli laws passed in late October, which take effect in 90 days, that effectively ban the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, from operating in the Palestinian territories.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stressed that no other U.N. agency can take on the UNRWA's role and a U.N. spokesman reiterated on Thursday that under international law, as the occupying power, Israel would be responsible for fulfilling the basic needs of Palestinians if the UNRWA is banned.