Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Israel of failing to comply with the International Court of Justice order connected with the genocide case brought against it by South Africa.

Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Israel of failing to comply with an International Court of Justice order stemming from allegations of genocide in Gaza brought by South Africa, including curtailing aid to the region. People are seen here inspecting the wreckage of a police vehicle after the health ministry in Gaza said that Israeli aircraft fire killed six Palestinian police officers, who witnesses told had been securing the passage of an aid truck carrying flour in Rafah. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI.

Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Israel of failing to comply with an International Court of Justice order stemming from allegations of genocide in Gaza brought by South Africa, including curtailing aid to the region. People are seen here inspecting the wreckage of a police vehicle after the health ministry in Gaza said that Israeli aircraft fire killed six Palestinian police officers, who witnesses told had been securing the passage of an aid truck carrying flour in Rafah.

Human Rights Watch said Israel has not followed through with an order by the ICJ on Jan. 26 to "take immediate and effective measures to enable provisions of urgently needed basic services and human aid" to reach Gaza.

"The Israeli government is starving Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians, putting them in even more peril than before the world's court's binding order," Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at HRW, said in a statement.

"The Israeli government has simply ignored the court's ruling, and in some ways even intensified its repression, including further blocking lifesaving aid."

HRW said data published by the United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East showed the daily average of trucks entering Gaza to provide aid, food and medicine declined to 93 on Jan. 27 -- immediately following the ruling -- down from 147 from Jan. 1 through Jan. 26 and roughly 500 before the start of the war on Oct. 7.

The Jan. 26 ruling by the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to "take immediate and effective measures to enable provisions of urgently needed basic services and human aid" to reach Gaza. File Photo by International justice of Court/ UPI.
The Jan. 26 ruling by the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to "take immediate and effective measures to enable provisions of urgently needed basic services and human aid" to reach Gaza. File Photo by International justice of Court/ UPI.

Between Feb. 9 and Feb. 21 that average fell to 57, it said.

Israel has denied placing limits on aid instead, accusing the United Nations of being responsible for delays, alleging Hamas has diverted the aid, or saying Gaza police have not properly secured the aid deliveries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the ICJ ruling, which did not offer a verdict on Israeli genocide of Palestinian people, ridiculous and said Israel would continue its operations in Gaza until fulfilling its stated goal of eliminating Hamas. File Pool Photo by Miriam Alster/UPI
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the ICJ ruling, which did not offer a verdict on Israeli genocide of Palestinian people, ridiculous and said Israel would continue its operations in Gaza until fulfilling its stated goal of eliminating Hamas. File Pool Photo by Miriam Alster/UPI

As part of the ICJ ruling, Israel was due to issue a report about its compliance with the order to the court that could cite data from its Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, showing that 13,905 trucks of humanitarian aid have made their way into Gaza since Oct. 7, providing 256,610 tons of supplies, along with 164 tankers of fuel and 286 tankers loaded with cooking gas.

HRW further accused Israel of disrupting aid meant for northern portions of Gaza, citing the World Food Program's decision to pause food deliveries in the area after the United Nations said Israeli forces struck a food convoy earlier in the month.

It also said Israeli authorities only facilitated 2 of 21 missions that were planned to deliver fuel north of Wadi Gaza and did not complete any of 16 planned deliveries of fuel to water and wastewater pumping stations in northern Gaza.

"Israel's ground forces are able to reach all parts of Gaza, so Israeli authorities clearly have the capacity to ensure that aid reaches all of Gaza," said Shakir.

Lastly, HRW alleged that Israel had destroyed offices of two humanitarian organizations in Gaza since the ICJ delivered its verdict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the ICJ ruling, which did not offer a verdict on Israeli genocide of Palestinian people, ridiculous and said Israel would continue its operations in Gaza until fulfilling its stated goal of eliminating Hamas.