A Palestinian diplomat has told the United Nations’ top court that Israel is killing and displacing civilians and targeting aid workers in Gaza in a “man-made catastrophe of unprecedented proportions.

The UN's top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has begun hearings for an opinion on whether Israel must co-operate with the UN's Palestinian refugee agency - Unrwa - after it severed ties with it last year after accusing it of colluding with Hamas.

A top Palestinian official told the International Court of Justice on Monday that Israel was blocking humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza as a "weapon of war", starting off a week of hearings at the UN's top court.