Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously rejected petitions from left-wing and human rights organisations seeking to compel the Benjamin Netanyahu government to resume humanitarian aid to Gaza, amid extensive cuts and a total blockade imposed earlier this month. The ruling, made yesterday, legitimises the Israeli decision to halt all goods and assistance entering the enclave.
The latest blockade started on March 2, a move Netanyahu justified as leverage to pressure Hamas into accepting a ceasefire extension tied to hostage releases. The top court’s ruling could further intensify an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over two million civilians face starvation and deprivation of essentials like water, food, fuel and medicine.
The court, led by Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit, dismissed the petitions, asserting that Israel is adhering to its obligations under international and domestic law. The justices pointed out that the "law of belligerent occupation" does not apply, as Israel does not exercise governmental control over Gaza, where Hamas retains its administrative authority.
Justice Noam Sohlberg praised the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for facilitating aid "beyond what was required," despite operational risks and attacks by Hamas, which he accused of seizing shipments meant for civilians. He described these efforts as "unprecedented among the world’s armies”, and cautioned that excessive, unfocused aid could paradoxically sustain conflict by empowering Hamas.
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The blockade followed Hamas’s rejection of a ceasefire proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel accepted. Under the plan, half of the remaining hostages in Gaza would be freed on the first day, with the rest released by April 20—Passover’s end—if a permanent truce was secured. Netanyahu’s office declared that no goods would enter Gaza until Hamas relented, a stance the court upheld, granting the government full discretion over aid type and volume.
Critics, including Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, condemned the ruling as evidence of a "colonial system" abetting genocide, arguing that Israel’s judiciary, alongside its government and military, systematically denies justice to Palestinians. They say the Supreme Court order goes against international legal perspectives on the matter. For instance, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2024 against Netanyahu, charging him with using starvation as a weapon of war following the blockade against Gaza. Human rights groups argue that Israel is legally obligated to provide aid to civilians in Gaza, as it controlled all entry and exit points to the enclave.
The Supreme Court’s latest ruling has come as a big relief to the Netanyahu government which has been reeling under an onslaught of criticism against its conduct of the war, the failure to get the hostages released and the efforts to curb the powers of independent state institutions.
Justice Sohlberg spoke highly about the IDF’s logistical efforts and the sacrifices of soldiers, some of whom were injured while protecting aid distribution points from Hamas attacks. Chief Justice Amit wrote that Israel did not directly supply aid to Gaza, but only permitted its entry, a process disrupted by "terrorist exploitation”. Yet, the ground reality is that the blockade has fuelled mass starvation and suffering in Gaza.
As Netanyahu vows no truce without hostage releases, the Supreme Court’s decision reinforces Israel’s hardline policy, deepening a humanitarian disaster that continues to worsen by the day.