INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
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\nPress Release
\nUnofficial
\nNo. 2025\/48
\n22 October 2025
\nObligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations,
\nOther International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to
\nthe Occupied Palestinian Territory
\nThe Court gives its Advisory Opinion and responds to the question
\nposed by the General Assembly
\nTHE HAGUE, 22 October 2025. The International Court of Justice has today given its
\nAdvisory Opinion on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United
\nNations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied
\nPalestinian Territory.
\nIt is recalled that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted resolution 79\/232 in
\nwhich, referring to Article 65 of the Statute of the Court, it requested the International Court of
\nJustice to give an advisory opinion on the following question:
\n\u201cWhat are the obligations of Israel, as an occupying Power and as a member of
\nthe United Nations, in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations,
\nincluding its agencies and bodies, other international organizations and third States, in
\nand in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including to ensure and facilitate
\nthe unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the
\nPalestinian civilian population as well as of basic services and humanitarian and
\ndevelopment assistance, for the benefit of the Palestinian civilian population, and in
\nsupport of the Palestinian people\u2019s right to self-determination?\u201d
\nThe request for an advisory opinion was transmitted to the Court by the Secretary-General of
\nthe United Nations by a letter dated 20 December 2024. During the written phase of the proceedings,
\n45 written statements were filed in the Registry by States and international organizations. The Court
\nheld public hearings in the proceedings from 28 April 2025 to 2 May 2025, during which 39 States,
\nthe United Nations and three other international organizations presented oral statements.
\nIn its Advisory Opinion, the Court:
\n\u201c(1) Unanimously,
\nFinds that it has jurisdiction to give the advisory opinion requested;
\n(2) Unanimously,
\n– 2 –
\nDecides to comply with the request for an advisory opinion;
\n(3) Is of the opinion that the State of Israel, as an occupying Power, is required to
\nfulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law. These obligations include the
\nfollowing:
\n(a) Unanimously,
\nto ensure that the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory has the essential
\nsupplies of daily life, including food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical
\nsupplies and services;
\n(b) By ten votes to one,
\nto agree to and facilitate by all means at its disposal relief schemes on behalf of the
\npopulation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory so long as that population is
\ninadequately supplied, as has been the case in the Gaza Strip, including relief
\nprovided by the United Nations and its entities, in particular the United Nations
\nRelief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, other
\ninternational organizations and third States, and not to impede such relief;
\nIN FAVOUR: President Iwasawa; Judges Tomka, Abraham, Xue, Nolte,
\nCharlesworth, Brant, G\u00f3mez Robledo, Cleveland, Tladi;
\nAGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde;
\n(c) Unanimously,
\nto respect and protect all relief and medical personnel and facilities;
\n(d) Unanimously,
\nto respect the prohibition on forcible transfer and deportation in the Occupied
\nPalestinian Territory;
\n(e) Unanimously,
\nto respect the right of protected persons from the Occupied Palestinian Territory
\nwho are detained by the State of Israel to be visited by the International Committee
\nof the Red Cross; and
\n(f) Unanimously,
\nto respect the prohibition on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare;
\n(4) By ten votes to one,
\nIs of the opinion that, as an occupying Power, the State of Israel has an obligation
\nunder international human rights law to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of
\nthe population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including through the presence
\nand activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States,
\nin and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
\nIN FAVOUR: President Iwasawa; Judges Tomka, Abraham, Xue, Nolte,
\nCharlesworth, Brant, G\u00f3mez Robledo, Cleveland, Tladi;
\n– 3 –
\nAGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde;
\n(5) By ten votes to one,
\nIs of the opinion that the State of Israel has an obligation to co-operate in good
\nfaith with the United Nations by providing every assistance in any action it takes in
\naccordance with the Charter of the United Nations, including the United Nations Relief
\nand Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, in and in relation to the
\nOccupied Palestinian Territory;
\nIN FAVOUR: President Iwasawa; Judges Tomka, Abraham, Xue, Nolte,
\nCharlesworth, Brant, G\u00f3mez Robledo, Cleveland, Tladi;
\nAGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde;
\n(6) By ten votes to one,
\nIs of the opinion that the State of Israel has an obligation under Article 105 of the
\nCharter of the United Nations to ensure full respect for the privileges and immunities
\naccorded to the United Nations, including its agencies and bodies, and its officials, in
\nand in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
\nIN FAVOUR: President Iwasawa; Judges Tomka, Abraham, Xue, Nolte,
\nCharlesworth, Brant, G\u00f3mez Robledo, Cleveland, Tladi;
\nAGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde;
\n(7) By ten votes to one,
\nIs of the opinion that the State of Israel has an obligation under Article II of the
\nConvention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations to ensure full
\nrespect for the inviolability of the premises of the United Nations, including those of the
\nUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and
\nfor the immunity of the property and assets of the Organization from any form of
\ninterference;
\nIN FAVOUR: President Iwasawa; Judges Tomka, Abraham, Xue, Nolte,
\nCharlesworth, Brant, G\u00f3mez Robledo, Cleveland, Tladi;
\nAGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde;
\n(8) By ten votes to one,
\nIs of the opinion that the State of Israel has an obligation under Articles V, VI and
\nVII of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations to ensure
\nfull respect for the privileges and immunities accorded to the officials and experts on
\nmission of the United Nations, in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
\nIN FAVOUR: President Iwasawa; Judges Tomka, Abraham, Xue, Nolte,
\nCharlesworth, Brant, G\u00f3mez Robledo, Cleveland, Tladi;
\nAGAINST: Vice-President Sebutinde.\u201d
\n*
\n– 4 –
\nVice-President SEBUTINDE appends a separate opinion to the Advisory Opinion of the Court;
\nJudges ABRAHAM and CLEVELAND append a joint declaration to the Advisory Opinion of the Court;
\nJudge XUE appends a separate opinion to the Advisory Opinion of the Court; Judge CHARLESWORTH
\nappends a declaration to the Advisory Opinion of the Court; Judge BRANT appends a separate opinion
\nto the Advisory Opinion of the Court; Judge G\u00d3MEZ ROBLEDO appends a partially dissenting opinion
\nto the Advisory Opinion of the Court; Judges CLEVELAND and TLADI append declarations to the
\nAdvisory Opinion of the Court.
\n_____
\nA summary of the Advisory Opinion appears in the document entitled \u201cSummary 2025\/7\u201d, to
\nwhich summaries of the opinions and declarations are annexed. This summary and the full text of
\nthe Advisory Opinion are available on the case page on the Court\u2019s website.
\n_____
\nEarlier press releases relating to this case, including the history of the proceedings, are
\navailable on the Court\u2019s website.
\n_____
\nNote: The Court\u2019s press releases are prepared by its Registry for information purposes only
\nand do not constitute official documents.
\n_____
\nThe International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
\nIt was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946.
\nThe Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the
\nSecurity Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague
\n(Netherlands). The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law,
\nlegal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions
\nreferred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and agencies of the system.
\n_____
\nInformation Department:
\nMs Monique Legerman, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department: +31 (0)70 302 2336
\nMs Joanne Moore, Information Officer: +31 (0)70 302 2337
\nMr Avo Sevag Garabet, Associate Information Officer: +31 (0)70 302 2481<\/p>\n