The UN’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has ordered Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah”, backing a request brought by South Africa.
South Africa submitted an application last week asking for several measures against Israel, accusing the country of stepping up what it says is genocide.
Israel and the UN
Israel has continuously denied the allegation as baseless and has implied it would not adhere to any order to halt its operation. Ahead of Friday’s ruling, a government spokesperson said: “No power on Earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza”.
Israel started its long-anticipated offensive in Rafah around three weeks ago, promising to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there. It says it believes Israeli hostages are also being held in the town.
The UN states that more than 800,000 Palestinians have fled from Rafah since Israel’s offensive began. Around 1.5 million had been sheltering there from the fighting elsewhere in Gaza.
The hearing comprises part of a case brought by South Africa to the ICJ in December, claiming that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza – the case is ongoing.
Hamas and the Palestinians
Hamas has welcomed the ICJ decision on Rafah but has said it is not enough and urged an end to Israel’s offensive on all of Gaza, reports Reuters. It adds that Hamas calls on the UN Security Council to implement the ICJ decision.
Reuters reports that outside the court, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags and played a rap on a boom box calling for a free Palestine.
Rafah, on Gaza’s southern edge, has also been the main route in for aid, and international organizations say that the Israeli operation has cut off Gaza and raised the risk of famine.
The news agency also reports that Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich has said that after the world court ruling, those who demand that Israel stop the war are “demanding that it should decide to cease to exist”. He adds. “Israel will not agree to that.”
On X, Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted “The order of the antisemitic court in The Hague should have only one answer – the occupation of Rafah, the increase of military pressure and the crushing of Hamas, until the complete victory in the war is achieved.”
Israel started its offensive in Gaza after gunmen from Hamas, the terrorist organization that ruled the territory, attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 252 others back to Gaza as hostages.
At least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war since then, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The ICJ added that it was “deeply troubling” that Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages captive, and called for their “immediate and unconditional release”.