Dhaka, Oct. 23 -- The International Court of Justice said Wednesday that Israel was obliged to ease the passage of aid into Gaza, stressing it had to provide Palestinians with the "basic needs" to survive.

The wide-ranging ICJ ruling, quickly rejected by Israel, came as aid groups scrambled to scale up much-needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza, seizing upon a fragile ceasefire agreed earlier this month. While the UN's top court's "Advisory Opinion" is not legally binding, the ICJ believes it carries "great legal weight and moral authority".

"This is a very important decision. And I hope that Israel will abide by it," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday. ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa said Israel was "under an obligat...