In a post for EJIL: Talk!, Professor Mary Ellen O’Connell, member of CERL’s Advisory Council, discusses the rights to obtain and offer humanitarian assistance in conflict zones. She notes that in the case of Gaza, consent from Israel to deliver aid is not a requirement but from a practical standpoint, cooperation among parties heightens the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance efforts. In situations where aid delivery is blocked, international law provides for countermeasures.   

Mary Ellen O’Connell is the Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law and Research Professor of International Dispute Resolution—Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. Read her bio here.   

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.