Closing summary
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing submissions about Israel’s obligation to facilitate humanitarian aid to Palestinian people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The hearings – due to end on Friday – began today with submissions from UN and Palestinian representatives. The court will likely take months to rule. But experts say the decision, though not legally binding, could profoundly impact international jurisprudence, international aid to Israel and public opinion.
In his arguments to the ICJ at The Hague, Ammar Hijazi, Palestinian ambassador to the Netherlands, said Israel is unravelling “fundamental principles of international law” including its obligations under the UN charter. He said that Israel is turning Gaza into a “mass grave” for Palestinian people.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday alleged a US airstrike hit a prison holding African migrants, killing at least 68 people.
The death toll from a huge blast in Iran’s southern port of Shahid Rajaeeh that occurred on Saturday morning was increased from 40 to 46 today, according to state media reports. Iran’s interior minister, Eskandar Momenim, later said that the explosion was caused by “negligence” and a failure to comply with safety measures.
Thanks for joining us. We are closing this blog now. You can find all our latest coverage of the Middle East here.
Updated
Unrwa schools in East Jerusalem threatened with closure, agency's head says
In his post on X, Phillipe Lazzarini also said that some Unrwa facilities, including schools in occupied East Jerusalem, are under threat of closure by Israeli authorities.
He wrote:
Some 800 children are likely to miss out on finishing the school year if their schools are forced closed.
As an occupying power, the state of Israel must provide services or facilitate their delivery- including through Unrwa- to the population it is occupying.
This is a clear direction from the international community, through the UN general assembly.
Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has meant Palestinian children have been denied access to formal education since October 2023.
It is estimated that over 95% of the 564 school buildings in Gaza have suffered damage, with relentless Israeli attacks on schools killing many civilians seeking shelter from bombardments.
As of 31 December 2024, 12,035 students and 492 education personnel had been killed, according to the ministry of education. All universities and colleges in Gaza have reportedly been destroyed. In displacement camps, tent schools were established, but there is no guarantee of safety anywhere in the strip and children’s education remains severely disrupted and effectively on pause.
