Twelve of Israel's most prominent human rights groups have signed an open letter accusing the country of disobeying the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling ordering it to allow access to humanitarian aid in Gaza, the "Guardian" reported.
The court at The Hague made several legal demands on Israel when it issued an interim ruling in late January in response to South Africa's lawsuit accusing the country of genocide in its military campaign in the Palestinian enclave.
The demands included taking all measures to prevent intentional harm to civilians, facilitating immediate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, preventing and punishing direct or public incitement to genocide, and preserving evidence of any illegal acts committed during the war against Hamas.
Human rights groups claim in the letter that Israel is legally bound to implement the measures ordered by the court, but has so far failed to do so. Signatories to the letter include the group Breaking the Silence, which leaks information from the military, and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
"The ICJ ruling is a legal obligation to end the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. It must be respected, not only to alleviate the suffering of civilians, but also for the sake of humanity as a whole," the letter states. It is also noted that the ICJ called on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all Israeli hostages.
Israel has faced pressure over the lack of humanitarian access to Gaza. The US and other countries have airlifted aid to the coastal zone, and the US and the European Union have ordered the opening of a maritime corridor to the area.
A Spanish humanitarian ship with food was preparing to set sail from Cyprus for Gaza yesterday. The non-governmental group Open Arms said its ship will tow a barge with 200 tons of food, which its partner, the American aid organization World Central Kitchen, will then unload on the shores of the enclave.
"As members of civil society based in Israel committed to human rights and the rule of law, we condemn the fact that Israel has so far not changed its behavior based on the measures imposed by the ICJ, as well as the fact that humanitarian aid to Gaza has been reduced by 50 percent in the month following the verdict" , the letter states.
"We call for an immediate ceasefire, which must include the release of the hostages. We call on the Israeli government to respect the ICJ's decision and implement the court's interim measures, which are crucial to mitigating and overcoming the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
"In addition, we call on the international community to use its collective influence to promote and support an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of interim measures, and to increase efforts to ensure that the Israeli hostages are returned from Gaza."
Although the United Nations' top court did not order an end to hostilities, its decision was seen as a sharp warning to Israel about the level of international legal oversight over the months-long military operation it launched in response to Hamas attacks on October 7, according to "The Guardian".
The ruling, seen as a sharp criticism of Israel's wartime conduct, further increased international pressure on the country to halt the offensive, which has killed more than 31.000 Palestinians and displaced more than 75 percent of Gaza's population.
The war also destroyed the enclave's infrastructure and caused widespread famine.
The interim measure was condemned at the time by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the fact that the court was ready to discuss genocide charges was "a shame that will not be erased for generations".
International human rights groups have also expressed concern over Israel's failure to comply with the ICJ ruling.
Amnesty International warned two weeks ago that Israel's "failure" to allow access to humanitarian aid came at a time when the population was on the "brink of starvation".
"Not only has Israel created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, but it is also showing indifference to the plight of the people of Gaza by creating conditions that, according to the ICJ, put them at imminent risk of genocide," said Heba Morajef, AI's regional director for Middle East and North Africa.
UN: International humanitarian law is in shambles
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres yesterday called for a truce in the war in Gaza and in the conflict in Sudan, at the beginning of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.
He also called for the release of hostages held by Hamas and the removal of "all obstacles to ensure the delivery of vital aid at the speed and volume that is needed" to Gaza, where, the UN has warned, a quarter of the population is on the brink of starvation.
"International humanitarian law is in shambles," Guterres told reporters. "And Israel's threatened offensive on the Rafah could push the people of Gaza into an even deeper circle of hell.
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