Top UN court orders Israel to allow food and medical aid into Gaza

The UN's top court has unanimously ordered Israel to enable the unhindered flow of aid into Gaza in order to avert a famine.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) says Israel must act without delay to allow the provision of urgent basic needs services and humanitarian assistance.

This follows warnings that famine could hit Gaza within weeks.

Israel has called allegations it is blocking aid wholly unfounded and has also denied allegations of genocide lodged at the International Court of Justice by South Africa and has blamed the UN for problems with the distribution of aid.

Although orders issued by the International Court of Justice are legally binding, the court lacks the power to enforce them.

Last week, a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Global Initiative, which is run by the World Food Programme and others, warned that a catastrophic situation was developing.

It said that all of the 2.2 million people in Gaza were facing high levels of acute food insecurity and that famine was projected to hit the north of the territory before the end of May.

In its ruling, the International Court of Justice said Gaza was no longer facing only a risk of famine, but a famine is setting in, and according to UN observers, 31 people, including 27 children, had already died of malnutrition and dehydration.

Source: BBC