Montreal, October 22, 2025 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) welcomes today’s advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s obligations to provide aid to Gaza, and urges the Canadian government to express its full support for the court’s findings. The ICJ concluded that Israel, as an occupying power and UN member, is obliged under international law to ensure the basic needs of the Palestinian population and must not use starvation as a weapon of war. CJPME urges Canada to urgently sanction Israel for its ongoing starvation policies against the Palestinian people and support subsequent efforts by the United Nations to force Israel’s compliance with international law.

“For years, Israel has used starvation as a weapon of war against the Palestinian people in Gaza, by restricting and blocking aid, shutting down UN agencies, bombing aid facilities, and murdering humanitarian staff,” said Michael Bueckert, Acting President of CJPME. “Today, the World Court has unequivocally confirmed that Israel is in gross violation of its obligations, both as an occupying power and as a member of the United Nations. Canada must sanction Israel to enforce the ICJ opinion and end the ongoing siege,” added Buckert.

The ICJ concluded in its advisory opinion that as an occupying power over Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, “Israel is obliged to ensure the basic needs of the local population, including the supplies essential for their survival” such as water, food, clothing, bedding, fuel, and medical supplies. It further argued that Israel is obliged to “respect the prohibition on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare,” and to respect the inviolability of UN facilities and staff in occupied Palestine. The ICJ argued that Israel is obliged to agree to and facilitate, by all means at its disposal, the distribution and provision of aid by UN agencies, third states and NGOs, and not to impede their work.

The ICJ rendered today’s opinion at the request of the UN General Assembly in a vote brought forward by Norway in December 2024. This followed the decision of Israel to ban UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestine refugees, from operating in the OPT. CJPME is disappointed that Canada abstained on that original resolution and declined to present an oral or written argument to the court’s proceedings. However, CJPME notes that this is an improvement from Canada’s hostility towards the ICJ’s previous opinion on the illegality of the occupation, when Canada voted “No” on the UNGA resolution requesting an opinion and then urged the ICJ to “decline the request.” CJPME expects Canada to vocally support the conclusions of the ICJ, vote in support of any relevant resolutions at the UNGA, and put forward all tools at its disposal to force Israel to respect the ICJ, end its brutal siege on Gaza, and lift all restrictions on aid and supplies from entering Palestine.