US defends Israeli use of starvation as weapon of war before ICJ
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Josh Simmons repeats unverified claims that there was information suggesting Hamas had used UNRWA facilities to say "Israel" is not obligated to let UNRWA aid in.
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Senior Bureau Official of the Office of the Legal Advisor at the US Department of State Joshua B Simmons speaks during the third day of week-long hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on "Israel's" obligations toward UN agencies delivering aid to Palestinians in Gaza, in The Hague, on April 30, 2025 (ANP / AFP)
An American official on Wednesday told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that there were "serious concerns" about the "impartiality" of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The remarks came during a week of hearings at the ICJ aimed at issuing an advisory opinion on the obligations of the Israeli occupation toward UN agencies providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Josh Simmons, a member of the US State Department legal team, claimed there was information suggesting that Hamas had used UNRWA facilities and that some UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 attack against "Israel", although none of the aforementioned claims were proven true.
Around 40 countries and organizations, including the League of Arab States, are participating in the hearings. "Israel", not attending, has dismissed the proceedings as “part of the systematic persecution and delegitimisation” of the regime.
UNRWA’s status has become a central point of contention in the hearings. "Israel" has banned the agency from operating on occupied Palestinian soil, alleging the involvement of UNRWA staff in the October 7, 2023, events.
France, MSF, call for urgent humanitarian aid 'at massive scale'
A series of investigations, including one led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, claimed certain “neutrality-related issues” within UNRWA but noted that "Israel" had not provided concrete evidence to support its primary allegations.
Nonetheless, Simmons argued that the Israeli occupation had “ample grounds” to question the agency’s impartiality.
"Given these concerns, it is clear that Israel has no obligation to permit UNRWA specifically to provide humanitarian assistance," he stated.
"UNRWA is not the only option for providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza," the US official added.
France’s representative, Diego Colas, called for humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in Gaza “at massive scale,” adding, “The restrictions on its access should be lifted without delay.”
The international medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that legal proceedings may come too late to prevent a catastrophe.
"Waiting for any kind of legal recourse... will condemn yet more Palestinians to avoidable death, while the world watches on impassively, doing nothing to avoid this indiscriminate and abhorrent cruelty," underscored MSF official Claire Nicolet.
Read more: At least 65,000 Gaza children hospitalized due to severe malnutrition
'Starvation is here'
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated on Tuesday that over 50 of the agency’s staff had been abused and used as human shields while in detention by Israeli occupation forces.
"Israel" continues to maintain tight control over all humanitarian aid entering Gaza, home to 2.4 million Palestinians. It halted aid deliveries on March 2, just days before the collapse of a ceasefire that had halted the war following 15 months of war.
According to the UN World Food Programme, its final food stocks have already been dispatched, leaving humanitarian kitchens without supplies.
Palestinian delegate Ammar Hijazi accused "Israel" of using aid denial as a “weapon of war.” He highlighted, “Nine of every 10 Palestinians have no access to safe drinking water. Storage facilities of the UN and other international agencies are empty."
"These are the facts. Starvation is here.”
In December, the UN General Assembly requested the ICJ to issue its advisory opinion “on a priority basis and with the utmost urgency.”
While the opinion is non-binding, the court maintains that it “carries great legal weight and moral authority.”
Read more: UNRWA warns of increased hunger in Gaza as 'Israel' continues blockade
