International Court of Justice orders Israel to stop military operation in Rafah

Judges in court in The Hague (Netherlands)

Reuters reported on May 24 that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague (Netherlands) has just issued a ruling forcing Israel to immediately stop military activities in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

ICJ President Nawaf Salam said provisional measures ordered by the court in March did not fully resolve the situation in Gaza and the conditions for a new emergency order had been met.

According to him, Israel must immediately stop the military attack on Rafah.

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The ICJ said the humanitarian situation in Rafah continued to deteriorate and was now considered “catastrophic”. Israel failed to convince the ICJ that the evacuation and other measures were insufficient to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The ICJ considered that the current situation entailed further risks of irreparable damage to the rights of the people in Gaza.

In the ruling, the ICJ ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing to humanitarian aid, ensure access to Gaza for investigators and submit a report to the court within a month on its implementation of the ruling.

The Palestinian Authority welcomed the ruling, saying it demonstrated international consensus to end the fighting in Gaza, Reuters quoted Palestinian President Nabil Abu Rudeina as saying.

Hamas also welcomed the ICJ's ruling on Rafah but said it was not enough, calling for an end to Israel's offensive across Gaza. In addition, Hamas called on the UN Security Council to enforce the ICJ's ruling.

Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Yoel Smotrich said that after the ICJ ruling, those who demand that Israel stop the war are demanding that the country cease to exist. Therefore, Israel does not agree with that.

President Joe Biden has publicly stated that he does not want Israel to launch a major ground offensive in Rafah, where many Palestinians are taking refuge, according to AFP.

Speaking to reporters on May 21, an anonymous senior US official said that Israel had incorporated some US recommendations into its Rafah action plan, and that “this is an ongoing and constructive discussion.” The US official added that Washington did not give the green light to Israel’s Rafah operation because “that is not our role.”

The court consists of a panel of 14 permanent judges from the countries, plus a special judge appointed by Israel as a party to the trial.

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The hearing was held in connection with a request to order Israel to halt its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and withdraw from Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa.

Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants raided southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Gaza health authorities said more than 35,000 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli retaliation.

South Africa’s broader ICJ case accuses Israel of committing state-led genocide against the Palestinian people. The ICJ has not ruled on the merits of that allegation but has rejected Israel’s request to dismiss the case.

In previous rulings, the court has ordered Israel to stop its “genocidal acts” against Palestinians and to allow aid into Gaza. However, the ICJ has not ordered a halt to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

The ICJ, part of the United Nations, is responsible for deciding disputes between countries. Its decisions are legally binding but lack enforcement.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/toa-an-cong-ly-quoc-te-buoc-israel-dung-chien-dich-quan-su-o-rafah-185240524204800915.htm