ICJ ruling 'attempt to impose political measures' against Israel: Foreign Ministry

JERUSALEM, UNDEFINED - Israel rejected a ruling by the International Court of Justice on Wednesday which said Israel was obliged to ease the passage of aid into Gaza and meet the "basic needs" of the population.

The ICJ also said Israel had not stood up its allegations that members of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, also worked for Hamas.

"Israel categorically rejects the ICJ's 'advisory opinion,' which was entirely predictable from the outset regarding UNRWA," foreign ministry spokesman, Oren Marmorstein, posted on X.

"This is yet another political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of 'International Law.'"

The wide-ranging ruling came as aid groups scrambled to scale up much-needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza, seizing upon a fragile ceasefire agreed earlier this month.

The "advisory opinion" is not legally binding but the court believes it carries "great legal weight and moral authority".

The Palestinian Authority (PA), based in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, welcomed the ruling which it said made "very clear that Israel must cease these illegal policies".

"States have an obligation to bring Israel into compliance with its obligations in this regard," the foreign ministry said in a statement on X.

"Israel must immediately lift the unlawful ban on UNRWA and allow all other international organisations invited by Palestine to operate freely and safely in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem," it added.

Israel banned UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil after accusing some of its staff of taking part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the Gaza war.

Hamas also hailed the ICJ's advisory opinion, which said Israel must not use starvation as a means of waging war in Gaza.

"The court's decision prohibiting the use of starvation as a method of warfare confirms that the occupation, by deliberately starving Palestinians, is committing a form of genocide," the militant group said in a statement.