THE International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to immediately halt its military assault on the southern Gaza City of Rafah. This landmark emergency ruling was made in response to a case filed by South Africa, accusing Israel of genocide.
The ICJ has no enforcement powers, but the ruling is a significant indication of Israel’s growing global isolation over its actions in Gaza.
The world court’s president, Nawaf Salam, read out the ruling, stating that Israel must stop its military offensive and any actions that could lead to the physical destruction of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
“The court considered that in conformity with obligations under the genocide convention, Israel must immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza, conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” according to Nawaf Salam, President, ICJ.
“Israel had not provided sufficient information about the safety of the population during the evacuation process, or the availability of food, water, sanitation and medicine for the 800,000 Palestinians that had already fled Rafah,” said Salam.
“Consequently, the court is of the view that Israel has not sufficiently addressed and dispelled the concerns raised by its military offensive in Rafah,” Salam added.
The ICJ also ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to enter and to provide access to the enclave for investigators. Israel must report back on its progress within one month.
The ruling was adopted by a vote of 13-2, with only judges from Uganda and Israel opposing it.
Israel has dismissed the accusations of genocide as baseless, arguing that its operations in Gaza are self-defense against Hamas militants.
The ICJ’s decision comes amid a devastating campaign in Gaza, which has forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee and raised concerns about the risk of famine.
The court’s ruling is seen as a significant development in the international community’s response to the crisis, although its effectiveness will depend on Israel’s compliance.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, nearly 36,000 Palestinians have died since October 7th.
