Israel: Supreme Court delays ruling on Gaza humanitarian disaster petition

Israel’s Supreme Court has delayed a decision on a petition filed by human rights organisations eight months ago on the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, under the pretext of the need for clarity regarding circumstances on the ground.

During a hearing on Sunday, the Israeli authorities admitted to preventing the entry of humanitarian aid into northern Gaza last October. Meanwhile, the army-run Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) claimed that 1.1 million tonnes of aid had entered the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, asserting that Israel’s obligations have ended and that Hamas must now take responsibility, alleging its continued governance over the territory.

The human rights organisations behind the petition — Gisha (Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement), HaMoked (Centre for the Defence of the Individual), Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI), the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), and Adalah (Justice) — emphasised that Israel is obligated to ensure a minimum level of protection for the population against a humanitarian catastrophe and the ongoing conflict. They warned that the threshold of starvation in northern Gaza, where approximately 75,000 residents remain, is dangerously close.

The UN has also expressed alarm about the deteriorating food security in Gaza, reporting that over one million people in central and southern parts of the Strip have not received food supplies since July.

A memorandum submitted by the rights groups to the court late last week cited reports highlighting the severe consequences of Israeli restrictions on relief efforts. These restrictions, they noted, have hindered humanitarian organisations’ ability to operate effectively, with dire repercussions for residents now crowded into just one-fifth of the Gaza Strip’s total area.

A recent UN report revealed that there are no operational kitchens or bakeries in northern Gaza. It also noted that 138 kitchens, previously capable of producing 330,000 meals daily, are now at risk of closure due to a shortage of humanitarian aid. Additionally, cooking gas has not entered the area since the war began, and stocks of wood used for heating are nearly depleted.

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