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       The top United Nations court on Thursday ordered Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into the war-ravaged enclave.

       The International Court of Justice issued two new so-called provisional measures in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its military campaign launched after the 7 October attacks.

       Israel denies it is committing genocide and accused South Africa of trying to “undermine Israel's inherent right and obligation to defend its citizens.”

       Thursday’s order came after South Africa sought more provisional measures, including a ceasefire, citing starvation in Gaza.

       Israel, which had urged the court not to issue new orders, said it places no limits on aid entering Gaza and vowed to “promote new initiatives” to bring in even more assistance.

       In its legally binding order, the court told Israel to take measures “without delay” to ensure “the unhindered provision” of basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies.

       It also ordered Israel to immediately ensure that its military does not take action that could harm Palestinians' rights under the Genocide Convention, including by preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

       The court told Israel to report back in a month on its implementation of the orders.

       Fighting since October has displaced over 80% of Gaza's population, caused widespread damage and sparked a humanitarian crisis. The UN and international aid agencies say virtually the entire Gaza population is struggling to get enough food, with hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of famine, especially in hard-hit northern Gaza.

       South Africa welcomed Thursday's decision, calling it “significant.”

       “The fact that Palestinian deaths are not solely caused by bombardment and ground attacks, but also by disease and starvation, indicates a need to protect the group’s right to exist,” the South African president said in a statement.

       Hamas, an Islamic militant group, said the ruling must be enforced by the international community.

       “It must be implemented immediately, so that this decision does not remain a dead letter,” it said.

       The Palestinian Foreign Ministry thanked South Africa, calling the case “a vital step in the global effort to hold Israel accountable for perpetrating genocide.”

       After initially sealing Gaza’s borders in the early days of the war, Israel began to permit entry of humanitarian supplies. It says it places no restrictions on the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza and accuses the United Nations of failing to properly organize the deliveries. On Tuesday, the army said it inspected 258 aid trucks, but only 116 were distributed within Gaza by the UN.

       The UN and international aid groups say deliveries have been impeded by Israeli military restrictions, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order.

       The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused South Africa of making “cynical attempts” to exploit the world court to undermine Israel’s right to self-defence and to win the release of remaining hostages.

       Israel declared war in response to a bloody cross-border attack by Hamas on 7 October in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were taken hostage.

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       Israel responded with a campaign of airstrikes and a ground offensive that have left over 32,000 Palestinians dead, according to local health authorities.

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       Italy has joined France and other European countries in raising its security alert level following Moscow's terrorist attacks. The Interior Ministry announced this week that surveillance and checks will be strengthened, with particular attention paid to crowded places. Additional measures will be implemented specifically in the Italian capital from Good Friday to Easter Sunday.

       Watch the video in the player above to find out more.

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       The prime ministers of Ukraine and Poland said they made progress on Thursday toward meeting demands of Polish and western European farmers who want restrictions on cheap Ukrainian food imports that they say undermine their livelihoods, but they announced no breakthrough.

       Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was in Poland for talks with his counterpart, Donald Tusk, to find ways of addressing the farmers’ discontent that has led to violent protests and blockades of Poland’s border crossings with Ukraine.

       The leaders said some proposals were made during the talks but that more work was needed. Both said it would be helpful if the European Union went forward with a proposed 50% tax on Russian and Belarusian food imports.

       “We are looking for solutions that would be good for both sides,” Tusk said.

       “On the issue of farming, we have taken a step forward,” he said, pointing to Poland's efforts to have the EU restrict imports of Russian and Belarusian foods and thus take the pressure off the EU food market and also help Ukraine produce.

       “It seems we are just one step away” from that joint goal, Tusk said.

       Shmyhal said that through the talks they were “definitely making progress toward lifting the (border) blockades, but most importantly, toward solving all the critical issues that lead to such blockades.”

       They signed a joint declaration that said trade liberalization measures should benefit the economies of Poland, other EU members and Ukraine “without destabilizing their markets,” and that trade measures should take into account "the changing security situation in Ukraine.”

       Farmers in many European countries have been staging vehement protests targeting, among other issues, the cheap imports from Ukraine, and tensions have grown between Kyiv and its staunch ally Warsaw over the tax-free inflow of Ukraine's farm produce.

       Tusk had suggested that Poland, a NATO member and an EU country bordering Ukraine, would seek quotas on the imports during the talks. He has also suggested boosting Ukrainian exports to needy countries outside Europe.

       Shmyhal said that Ukraine has agreed to “certain limitations” but did not specify them.

       The EU has opened its doors wide to Ukrainian farm produce to help the country make money from its exports after Russia’s 2022 invasion cut many of its traditional trade routes.

       However, EU lawmakers recently agreed that quotas could be reintroduced on some Ukrainian foods to address the European farmers’ complaints.