Israel's security needs override obligation on aid to Gaza, US lawyer tells ICJ hearing

Israel's urgent security needs override its obligations to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza, a US state department lawyer has told the international court of justice as it hears a case on Israel's ban on cooperation with the UN's main agency for Palestinians.

- Patrick Wintour

Joshua Simmons told the court Israel had no duty under the Geneva conventions to cooperate specifically with Unrwa owing to its concerns about its links to Hamas, an allegation that has been fiercely contested.

Simmons was addressing the ICJ judges in The Hague on the third day of the hearing and the 60th day of Israel's complete ban on any aid, food or water entering Gaza. The ban applies to all agencies seeking to distribute aid in Gaza, but in October the Knesset specifically voted to end all cooperation with Unrwa.

The US president, Donald Trump, said on Friday he had personally urged Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to allow aid into Gaza, but so far Israel has refused to lift the total blockade imposed on 2 March.

Israel has said the block would continue until all the remaining hostages held by Hamas were released. Trump said he had told Netanyahu: "We have got to be good to Gaza."

The ICJ was asked in December at the request of the UN general assembly to give an advisory opinion on Israel's obligations as an occupying power to provide humanitarian aid and on the ban on cooperation and contact with Unrwa.