The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to immediately halt its military operations in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, AP News reported.
However, the ICJ did not order a complete ceasefire.
Criticism of Israel’s behaviour in the Gaza war has been growing, especially over the Rafah operations, and even from its closest ally, the United States. Just this week, three European countries announced that they would recognise a Palestinian state, and the chief prosecutor of another UN court has requested arrest warrants for Israeli leaders as well as Hamas officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also under intense domestic pressure to end the war. The conflict erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and capturing about 250.
While the ICJ ruling is a blow to Israel’s international standing, the court lacks the means to enforce its judgements.
On the eve of the ruling, Israel signalled on Thursday that it would also brush aside an ICJ order to halt its activities in Rafah, according to Avi Hyman, the government spokesman.
No power on earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza.
Court President Nawaf Salam read the judgement while a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside. The ICJ also ordered Israel to keep the Rafah crossing into Egypt open “for unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance.”
But the ceasefire request is part of a case filed late last year accusing Israel of committing genocide during the campaign in the Gaza Strip. Israel categorically denies the allegations. The case will take years to resolve, but South Africa is seeking interim orders to protect Palestinians while the legal battle continues.
Totally and unconditionally
On Friday, the court ruled that Israel must allow access to any fact-finding or investigative mission sent by the United Nations to look into the genocide allegations. At a public hearing last week at the International Court of Justice, South Africa’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, called on a panel of 15 international judges to order Israel to “totally and unconditionally withdraw” from Gaza.
The Israeli offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
On Monday, Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said he had asked ICC judges to approve arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three top Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh.
However, Israel is not a member of the ICC. Therefore, even if arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face an immediate risk of prosecution. But the threat of arrest could make it difficult for Israeli leaders to travel abroad.
