Live: Lawyers present genocide risk case against Israel at ICJ

Ardi Imseis, an international law professor at Queen’s University, just presented his oral argument at the ICJ on behalf of Palestine, focusing on the crucial role of Unrwa. He made the following points:

• The UN’s responsibility toward Palestine traces back to its 1947 partition plan, which Palestinians did not consent to, and the 1948 Nakba, during which between 750,000 and 900,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced.

• In response, the UN General Assembly established Unrwa in 1949 to provide relief and works programmes for Palestinian refugees, ensuring its work does not undermine their right to return, restitution, or compensation as stated in Resolution 194.

• The 1967 occupation of Palestine by Israel displaced an additional 250,000–300,000 Palestinians, increasing the dependency on Unrwa’s services across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the occupied Palestinian territories.

• Conditions, particularly since October 2023, have worsened, making Unrwa’s role as critical today as it was in 1949, with the UN General Assembly repeatedly reaffirming its mandate.

• The agency’s exceptional infrastructure, community trust, and expertise make it indispensable, with the UN Secretary-General and other humanitarian groups recognising it as the "backbone" of relief efforts in Gaza.

France has called on Israel to “stop the massacre taking place today in Gaza,” government spokesperson Sophie Primas said on Monday.

She emphasised that Paris is also demanding the release of captives still held by Hamas, the demilitarisation of the Palestinian group, and the renewal of the Palestinian Authority, AFP reported.

These conditions, she added, are necessary for moving towards the recognition of a Palestinian state, a goal French President Emmanuel Macron has outlined for June.

Some more key arguments from Blinne Ni Ghralaigh's, the Palestine representative at the ICJ:

• A UN Commission of Inquiry has concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza are not only inhumane but may amount to genocide, a view widely supported by human rights organisations.

• Separate legal proceedings are examining Israel’s responsibility for genocide, focusing on its duty to provide aid while Palestinians face an imminent risk of mass atrocities.

• Israel has challenged the court’s jurisdiction, but legal experts assert it has full authority to rule on Israel’s obligations under international law, including protecting Palestinian civilians.

• The court must urgently clarify that UN member states have a duty to intervene and prevent potential violations of fundamental norms, such as the prohibition of genocide.

• Meanwhile, Israel continues obstructing UN-mandated investigations in Gaza, raising concerns over the destruction of evidence related to alleged war crimes.

Some more key arguments from Blinne Ni Ghralaigh's  ICJ presentation:

• Genocidal conduct allegations:

  • UN Commission of Inquiry and human rights experts confirm Israel's actions meet genocide criteria

  • Current proceedings focus specifically on Israel's legal obligations to provide humanitarian aid

  • Palestinians face "real and imminent" genocide risk requiring urgent international action

• ICJ authority affirmed:

  • Court maintains full jurisdiction to rule on Israel's international law obligations

  • Must determine member states' duty to prevent potential genocide

  • Israel's procedural objections lack legal merit

• Evidence suppression:

  • Israel actively blocks UN investigative teams from accessing Gaza

  • Systematic destruction and burial of potential war crime evidence

  • Creates evidentiary obstacles for future accountability processes

• International obligations:

  • All states bear responsibility to prevent violations of fundamental norms

  • Prohibition of genocide requires concrete preventive actions

  • Court must issue clear directives regarding humanitarian protections

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) began hearings on Monday into Israel's obligation to ensure aid reaches Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. Since March, Israel has blocked all aid from reaching Gaza and no food, water or medicines have reached its 2.3 million residents in the past eight weeks.

The case was prompted by Israel banning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in October 2024, an event that sparked global outrage and calls for Israel to be ejected from the UN due to accusations that it violated the founding UN charter, particularly the privileges and immunities enjoyed by UN agencies. 

The ICJ hearings coincide with Israel continuing its ban on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip since 2 March (over 50 days) and the intensification of military attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians since the collapse of the ceasefire on 18 March.

Read more: Why the ICJ is hearing a third advisory opinion against Israel

Key arguments from Blinne Ni Ghralaigh's ICJ presentation:

• Violations of UN privileges in occupied territories:

  • Israeli forces have repeatedly stormed and forcibly taken control of UN-run schools

  • UN premises have been violently shuttered by Israeli authorities

  • Israel has failed to protect UN facilities from attacks by Israeli civilians

• Restrictions on UN personnel:

  • Palestinian UN staff face severe movement restrictions

  • International UN staff are routinely denied access to Gaza

  • Israel systematically obstructs UN operations in Palestinian territories

• Humanitarian aid obstruction:

  • Israel blocks delivery of UN food supplies and medical equipment

  • UN warehouses and distribution centers have been deliberately targeted

  • Humanitarian convoys face repeated attacks and delays

• Military misuse of UN facilities:

  • Israeli forces have converted UN buildings into military bases

  • UN schools and shelters have been attacked in every major Gaza offensive since 2009

  • Healthcare facilities operating under UN protection have been repeatedly struck

• Legal framework violations:

  • These actions constitute clear breaches of the 1946 Convention on UN Privileges

  • Demonstrates a pattern of behavior spanning more than a decade

  • Shows systematic disregard for international humanitarian law

British Virgin Atlantic has confirmed it will suspend its route to Tel Aviv, with no plans to resume operations in Israel, according to a report by Israel's Channel 12

Palestinians residents report that Israel's army is demolishing the remaining ruins of Rafah, located on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip.

There are growing fears that this is part of a broader plan to force the population into a large confinement camp on barren land.

Since Israel imposed its longest-ever total blockade on Gaza nearly two months ago, no food or medical supplies have reached the territory's 2.3 million residents.

Israel broke the ceasefire in mid-March and resumed bombing Gaza, seizing large areas of land and forcing residents from so-called "buffer zones" around Gaza's borders, including all of Rafah, which constitutes around 20 percent of the Strip.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Saturday that the military is establishing a new "humanitarian zone" in Rafah, where civilians will be relocated after security checks to exclude Hamas fighters.

The Houthi spokesman has condemned the recent US attack on a detention centre holding African immigrants.

Mohammed Abdul Salam criticised the US for its "brutality" on X, stating that the strike would "not cover up the military failure" the US is facing in its Yemen aggression. He further asserted that continuing the assault would yield no success.

Abdul Salam also pointed to the international community’s silence on the air strikes, claiming it “encourages” Washington to persist in attacking residential areas, misrepresenting them as military targets.

He added that such claims from Washington do not make them true, arguing that the US is deliberately committing crimes and terrorism.

As reported earlier, at least 68 people died in the attack, and 47 others were injured.

Palestinian envoy to the Netherlands presents Gaza case at ICJ and accuses Israel of commiting genocide.

Key arguments from Ambassador Ammar Hijazi's ICJ address:

• Total blockade maintained: Israel continues blocking all food, water, medicine and fuel entry to Gaza for 60+ days, with Supreme Court backing

• "Killing field" conditions: UN chief's description reflects starvation deaths and man-made catastrophe

• Clear court jurisdiction: Case addresses valid international law questions about Palestinian rights under UN mandate

• Annexation evidence: Palestine will demonstrate Israel's systematic ethnic cleansing in Gaza/West Bank through:

  • Settlement expansion

  • Forced displacements

  • Infrastructure destruction

• Genocide allegations: Accuses Israel of:

  • Violating UN Charter obligations

  • Targeting humanitarian operations

  • Seeking Palestinian erasure (PM faces ICC arrest warrant)

Elinor Hammarskjold, a Swedish lawyer and diplomat, currently serves as the UN’s Undersecretary-General for Legal Affairs and its Legal Counsel, a position she has held since 2025. She is currently speaking at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Key points from Elinor Hammarskjold's ICJ address:

• Total aid blockade: No humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza since 2 March, creating catastrophic conditions

• Legal obligations: Israel must comply with international humanitarian law in occupied territories, including allowing UN assistance

• UN casualties: At least 295 UN staff members killed since hostilities began

• Vital services: UN agencies deliver crucial development aid and support across Palestinian territories

• Occupier responsibilities: Israel must maintain civilian infrastructure including:

  • Children's education and welfare systems

  • Medical facilities (including UN-established hospitals)

  • Humanitarian relief operations

Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight into Monday have left at least 27 Palestinians dead, according to local health officials.

Since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month, Israel has carried out daily air strikes on Gaza. The country has also imposed a blockade, halting all imports to Gaza, including food and medicine, since the start of March.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has slammed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its hearings on humanitarian aid to Gaza, accusing the court of leading a “systematic persecution and delegitimisation” of Israel.

In a live briefing, Saar stated that the ICJ was becoming "completely politicised" and denounced the hearings in The Hague as "shameful."

The ICJ’s hearings focus on Israel’s responsibility to "ensure and facilitate" the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, shining a spotlight on the ongoing conflict.

Since March 2, Israel has blocked vital supplies such as food and medicine from entering Gaza. The United Nations food agency has warned of a looming famine in the region, with conditions worsening daily.

The International Court of Justice on Monday begins hearings into Israel's obligations towards the presence and activities of the UN, other international organisations and third states in occupied Palestine.

The case was prompted by Israeli bills outlawing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in October 2024, an event that sparked global outrage and calls for unseating Israel from the UN due to accusations that it violated the founding UN charter, particularly the privileges and immunities enjoyed by UN agencies. 

The ICJ hearings coincide with Israel’s continuing its ban on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip since 2 March (over 50 days) and the intensification of military attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians since the collapse of ceasefire on 18 March.

Read more: Watch live: ICJ hears case related to Israel's ban on Unrwa

Turkey has formally denied reports that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan pressured Hamas officials over the weekend to make concessions in ceasefire talks with Israel.

"The claim published by an Israeli newspaper does not reflect the truth," Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli told MEE in a statement.

Fidan met Hamas Shura Council chairman Muhammad Ismail Darwish and other senior officials in Doha on Sunday to discuss efforts to reach a long-term ceasefire and the need to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, according to a Turkish readout.

On Monday, Haaretz, citing Palestinian officials affiliated with Hamas, reported that Turkey had pressured Hamas to make concessions following a request from the United States.

However, insiders in Ankara say Turkey has been working to broker a deal to present to Washington - and, if possible, directly to US President Donald Trump - to secure another ceasefire, rather than putting pressure on the Hamas leadership.