The International Court of Justice will hold hearings next month on Israel’s humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians, amid claims the Israeli government is blocking aid access to Gaza, AFP reports.

The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution in December requesting that the world body’s top court give an advisory opinion on the matter.

The hearings will open on April 28 at the court’s seat in The Hague, it said in a statement.

The resolution, submitted by Norway in October, was adopted by a large majority. It calls on the ICJ to clarify what Israel is required to do to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population”.

Although the ICJ’s decisions are legally binding, the court has no concrete means to enforce them. But they increase the diplomatic pressure on Israel.

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