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Hello and welcome to NewsHour. It's coming to you live from the BBC World Service

Studios in central London. I'm Tim Franks. There may be a ceasefire in Gaza. What is not ceased

are the arguments, in particular today, over Israel's responsibility to ensure the flow of aid into Gaza.

A place, remember, where a UN-backed body earlier this year confirmed that the northern part was in the grip of famine.

What's happened today is that the International

Court of Justice has said that Israel, as the occupying power, is indeed obliged to facilitate

the delivery of that aid, that it has at times not done so, and that, a key be it this,

it should cooperate with the relevant UN agencies, including UNR, its main relief agency

for Palestinians. Last year, Israel severed ties with UNRWA, accusing it of collusion with

Hamas. The opinion was read out by the presiding judge at the ICJ, Yuji Iwasawa.

The court emphasizes that as the occupying power, Israel's obligation to agree to and

facilitate relief schemes, if the local population is inadequately supplied, is unconditional.

The BBC's Anna Holligan is a correspondent in The Hague.

What led to the judges issuing this advisory opinion?

It came as an urgent request from the UN General Assembly.

ICJ judges listened to arguments put forward by 40 countries

and three international organisations.

Israel also made a written submission,

but didn't appear here in court. And what we've heard from the judges is their interpretation of where the law stands with regards to the operation of UNRWA and the provision of aid

to the populations in Gaza and the West Bank.

They've issued this advisory opinion confirming that Israel has a duty to facilitate the flow of aid

...