Malaysia says Israel using Unrwa ban to force Palestinian exodus: ICJ

Malaysia has accused Israel of weaponising restrictions on UN agencies, particularly Unrwa, to forcibly uproot Palestinians from their homeland.

Speaking during hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Malaysia’s Minister of Law and Institutional Reform, Azizah Othman Said, condemned Israel’s actions as part of a wider effort to erase Palestinian presence.

“These statements by Israeli officials about displacing Palestinians show a deliberate plan,” she told the court on Monday, which is holding a five-day session examining the legal consequences of Israeli measures targeting UN operations.

Othman Said warned that Israel is using humanitarian aid as a tool of warfare and underscored the destruction and killings unfolding in Gaza. “This is a blatant breach of international law,” she said.

She also criticised Israeli legislation aimed at banning Unrwa’s operations, arguing it seeks to legitimise annexation and push Palestinians off their lands.

“Ending Unrwa’s work means stripping Palestinians of their rights and pushing them into exile,” she said. “Disrupting the agency’s efforts denies basic rights and violates humanitarian principles.”

Thirty-nine states and four international bodies are taking part in the ICJ hearings, which aim to assess the legal weight of Israel’s restrictions.