LONDON: Lawyers representing the UK government have told the UN鈥檚 top court that Israel must allow aid supplies back into Gaza.

Speaking at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Sally Langrish, legal advisor to the UK鈥檚 Foreign Office, said Israel must also give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Palestinian prisoners and insisted that the UN鈥檚 agency for Palestinian refugees was impartial.

Her comments on Thursday were made on the fourth day of hearings at the ICJ, which was asked last year by the UN General Assembly to give an advisory opinion on Israel鈥檚 legal obligations on the operations of UN agencies and international organizations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The hearings, which finish on Friday, have centered around Israel鈥檚 cutting off of aid supplies to Gaza and come amid dire warnings about the collapse of emergency food and water supplies to Palestinians.

鈥淚srael must facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian provision to the population of Gaza, including food, water and electricity, and must ensure access to medical care in accordance with international humanitarian law,鈥� Langrish told the court.

David Lammy, the UK鈥檚 foreign secretary, this week said Israel鈥檚 decision to block aid deliveries to Gaza was a 鈥渉orrendous鈥� decision that was causing dire suffering. 

On Friday, the Red Cross warned that aid operations in Gaza were on the 鈥渧erge of total collapse,鈥� describing scenes of starving children and fights over water. 

The stating of the UK鈥檚 legal position at the ICJ also came as the British government confirmed it was in talks with France and 黑料社区 over officially recognizing the Palestinian state.

Spain, Norway and Ireland recently added themselves to the 160 countries that already recognize Palestine.

The UK was among the 137 countries to vote in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution in December to request the ICJ opinion. The US and 10 other nations voted against and 22 abstained.

The resolution was in response to Israel passing a law that effectively banned the main UN organization delivering aid to Palestinians, UNRWA, from operating in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel claims that workers at the agency took part in the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 that sparked Israel鈥檚 devastating military campaign in Gaza.

Langrish said the allegations of any UNRWA staff involvement in the 鈥渂arbaric鈥� Hamas attack must be thoroughly investigated. But she said the UK 鈥渟upports UNRWA鈥檚 continued work and commitment to the principle of neutrality.鈥�

She also highlighted Israel鈥檚 obligations under international law to allowing the Red Cross access to Palestinian prisoners.

Langrish said there had been 鈥渃redible reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli custody鈥� since the war started and that Red Cross access was aimed at ensuring they are treated humanely.

That Hamas had also not allowed Red Cross access to the hostages held in Gaza was also 鈥渃ompletely unacceptable,鈥� she said, but added that this could not be used to justify Israel denying Red Cross access to Palestinian detainees since.

The ICJ鈥檚 opinion is expected to take months to be delivered.

At least 42 people were killed in Gaza on Friday, AFP reported, with the number of Palestinians killed in the conflict now more than 52,000. The Hamas attack in October 2023 killed 1,218 people.