ISLAMABAD: The United States has told the World Court that Israel cannot be compelled to allow the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to operate in Gaza, despite the critical role the agency plays in delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Speaking during a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, US State Department legal adviser Joshua Simmons defended Israel’s decision to block UNRWA, saying that “an occupying power retains a margin of appreciation concerning which relief schemes to permit.”
Israel, which passed legislation last year to ban UNRWA from operating in its territory, has accused the agency of employing individuals allegedly linked to Hamas, including some it claims were involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks.
In response, the UN confirmed that nine staff were under investigation and had been dismissed, while Israel reported that a Hamas commander—also a UNRWA employee—was killed during military operations in Gaza.
UNRWA, which has provided essential services including education, health care, and food assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees since 1949, is one of the few humanitarian lifelines in the Gaza Strip, especially amid the ongoing Israeli blockade and repeated military assaults.
The ICJ hearings follow a December request by the United Nations General Assembly seeking an advisory opinion on Israel’s legal obligations to facilitate humanitarian aid to Palestinians—aid often delivered by international actors such as UNRWA.
Many humanitarian and legal experts argue that Israel’s restrictions on UNRWA not only deepen the crisis in Gaza but may also violate international humanitarian law, which requires occupying powers to ensure the welfare of occupied populations.
For Palestinians, the sidelining of UNRWA is seen as part of a broader effort to dismantle international protections and erase the refugee issue from global discourse.
