November 11, 2025 11:25 AM IST First published on: Nov 11, 2025 at 11:25 AM IST In a stark indictment of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in an advisory opinion adopted on October 22 with near unanimity, ruled that Israel must lift its restrictions on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and ensure the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid. In the face of political failure, the Court underscored that Israel has an unambiguous obligation not to impede aid to the point of threatening civilian survival through starvation — a method of warfare expressly prohibited under international humanitarian law and amounting to a war crime, a crime against humanity, and an act of genocide. As Gaza continues to suffer a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, with its population trapped between the relentless bombardment and man-made famine that have defined Israel’s military campaign launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, the ICJ’s opinion is crucial and carries profound legal and political significance.