Summary

  • The International Court of Justice is hearing about Israel's obligation to facilitate humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank

  • The case follows a request from the UN General Assembly last year for the court to give guidance after Israel banned the UN agency Unrwa from operating

  • Since March, Israel has blocked all aid from reaching Gaza, leading to international agencies warning of severe food shortages

  • Unrwa is the main provider of aid to Palestinians in Gaza, but Israel has accused it of being infiltrated by Hamas – an allegation that has been challenged

  • The hearings began on Monday with submissions from UN and Palestinian representatives, with a top Palestinian official accusing Israel of blocking aid as a "weapon of war"

  • Israel will not make an oral submission this week - its foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said on Monday morning that the UN "has become a rotten, anti-Israel, and antisemitic body"

  • The hearing is running until Friday - you can watch live at the top of the page. There will not be regular text updates

  • The court's opinion, which will be advisory and non-binding, is not expected for months

  1. Watch: International Court of Justice hearings begin in The Haguepublished at 09:06 British Summer Time 28 April