The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) has submitted an official Position Paper to the missions of UN Member States addressing the recent advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the genocide against the Palestinian people and the resulting legal obligations of Israel as an occupying power in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

The paper highlights the PRC’s analysis of the advisory opinion, which reaffirms Israel’s continued effective control over the Gaza Strip and the consequent expansion of its legal responsibilities under international humanitarian law. Chief among these responsibilities is the unconditional obligation to facilitate United Nations relief operations, particularly those conducted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The paper affirms that Israel bears a legal duty to ensure the delivery of essential supplies and services to civilians, including food, water, fuel, healthcare, and shelter, and that international law prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare or the imposition of conditions that lead to the forced displacement of civilians.

The PRC called on UN Member States to move from legal acknowledgment to practical implementation, warning that mere statements of concern risk rendering the new advisory opinion a symbolic document devoid of real humanitarian or political impact.

The Position Paper proposes several concrete steps for UN missions, including:
• Issuing a formal statement with a clear, time-bound plan to ensure full UNRWA access across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
• Establishing a weekly monitoring mechanism to track the movement of crossings, the number of humanitarian trucks, and any obstacles faced by UNRWA operations.
• Guaranteeing unrestricted access for the Agency to resume its services in education, healthcare, and relief.

The paper further notes that the full resumption of UNRWA’s operations constitutes a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees, not only to meet urgent humanitarian needs but also to sustain a rights-based framework grounded in justice, accountability, and the right of return and reparation.

The PRC concluded by stressing that the advisory opinion issued by the ICJ represents a pivotal legal development in the course of the Palestinian cause and urged the United Nations and its Member States to translate legal obligations into concrete measures that ensure respect for international law and the protection of Palestinian refugees’ rights.