From: The Times of Israel March 30, 2025
High Court says petitioners ‘not even close’ to showing Israel starving Gazan civilians

In ruling written before latest halt on aid, court says Israel has not violated legal prohibitions on collective punishment;
human rights group slams ‘green light to continue war crimes’

The High Court of Justice ruled unanimously on Thursday that:
1. Israel has taken a variety of steps to provide for the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s civilian population during the current war with Hamas,
2. and that there was no cause for the court to order the government and the army to take any additional action.

Critically, the court stated that the human rights groups which petitioned the court over the humanitarian situation in Gaza had “not even come close” to showing:
1. Israel had violated legal prohibitions on starving a civilian population as a tool of war or
2. as a form of collective punishment.

The court also ruled against the petitioners’ claim that Gaza is now under what is known as a “belligerent occupation” by Israel, which would apply heightened responsibilities for Israel to Gazan civilians.

The court found that:
1. at least two out of the three conditions for establishing a belligerent occupation have not been met by Israel,
2. in particular that the IDF still does not have effective control of the territory and is unable to exercise governing authority.