On Thursday, the World Court issued a ruling ordering Israel to stop the spread of hunger in Gaza. The decision was taken after humanitarian agencies reported that only a small portion of the needed supplies were reaching Gaza. The judges emphasized that hunger is becoming a real threat in Gaza and proposed increasing the capacity and number of land crossings to solve this problem.
Israel was given a month to submit a report detailing how it would comply with the ruling. South Africa requested these measures as part of a case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Hamas officials felt the decision did not go far enough and called for a ceasefire to end the suffering of the people of Gaza.
The UN Security Council recently voted for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, with the US abstaining. Israel has claimed it is making efforts to improve access to humanitarian aid, but has been criticized for not doing enough. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized the number of trucks blocked at the border as a “moral outrage”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to the World Court ruling. Israel has made efforts to provide aid in various ways, but it remains insufficient according to aid agencies.