Jerusalem – Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar strongly criticized the International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings regarding Israel’s actions in its conflict with Hamas, labeling them a “disgraceful” attempt to “politicize and abuse the legal process” to “delegitimize” Israel.
Sa’ar announced that Israel would not participate in the proceedings at The Hague. He stated, “We made the decision not to work with this circus. It is not Israel that should be on trial but the UN and UNRWA, which have been infiltrated by terrorists.”
Sa’ar accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of employing over 1,400 known terrorists, including Hamas leader Mohammed Abu Itiwi, who was involved in the October 7th massacre. Sa’ar stated that Abu Itiwi was “caught on video participating in the murder and kidnapping of Israelis near Kibbutz Re’im.”
The Foreign Minister also criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, alleging that he ignored repeated warnings from Israel about UNRWA’s involvement in terrorism. “He knew what was happening at UNRWA before and after October 7, yet he did nothing to prevent the atrocities,” Sa’ar said. “He continues to whitewash the crimes of UNRWA and its terrorist employees.”
The ICJ proceedings are focused on Israel’s obligations to provide humanitarian supplies to Palestinians in Gaza, following a UN General Assembly request. Sa’ar argued that this is part of a pattern of discriminatory actions against Israel by the UN and its institutions, which he described as “rotten, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic.”
He cited previous ICJ decisions that criticized Israel’s conduct after the October 7th Hamas attack, claiming the international organization is “persistently eroding Israel’s right to self-defense.” Sa’ar highlighted that this is the fourth proceeding against Israel in the court since the October 7th massacre. “They started by spreading false accusations of genocide against Israel,” he said. “Following a decision that rejected Israel’s long-standing claim to its territory, they then made an effort to thwart Israel’s ability to get weapons for self-defense. And now they’re trying to have us work with a terrorist-infiltrated group.”
Sa’ar also questioned the impartiality of former ICJ president and Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam, who had previously referred to Israel as an “enemy state.” He asked, “Shouldn’t a biased judge disqualify himself?”
Israeli politicians have been critical of UNRWA, calling for its defunding and the removal of its authority in Gaza, particularly after the discovery that some of its employees participated in the October 7th Hamas attack.
The article notes that Palestinian refugees are the only refugee group with a dedicated UN agency, while other refugees worldwide are under the mandate of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
UN Watch, a Geneva-based monitoring group, has accused UNRWA of having an “unholy alliance” with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. A 55-page report by the group alleges that UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and his associates facilitated the infiltration of Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
The report claims that over 10% of top educators employed by UNRWA in Gaza are affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and that hundreds of UNRWA’s 13,000 Gazan staff members, including teachers, have been accused by Israeli authorities of being active Hamas supporters. It also alleges that terror organizations built military infrastructure near UNRWA facilities in Gaza, influenced UNRWA policy, and indoctrinated Palestinian children through agency schools.
In June, over 100 survivors of the October 7th attacks filed a USD 1 billion lawsuit against UNRWA, accusing the organization of “aiding and abetting” Hamas. The lawsuit claims, among other things, that UNRWA violated UN procedures with an employee payment plan that benefited Hamas.
The October 7th Hamas attack on Israeli villages resulted in the deaths of at least 1,180 people and the capture of 252 Israelis and foreigners. It is believed that 36 of the 59 remaining captives are dead.
