Israeli airstrikes and artillery yesterday pounded Rafah, despite the UN’s top court ordering an “immediate halt” to its military offensive in the southern Gazan city.
In a case brought by South Africa alleging the Israeli military operation amounts to “genocide,” the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive and also called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
In its ruling, the ICJ said 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.”
Photo: AFP
The Hague-based ICJ, whose orders are legally binding, but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, instructed Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which Israel closed earlier this month.
It also ordered Israel to allow UN-mandated investigators “unimpeded access” to Gaza to look into the genocide allegations.
Israel gave no indication it was preparing to change course in Rafah, saying the court had got it wrong.
“Israel has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that create living conditions that could cause the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part,” Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a joint statement with Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman.
Hamas, the Iran-backed Islamist group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, welcomed the ICJ ruling on Rafah, but criticized its decision to exclude the rest of the Palestinian territory from the order.
In spite of the ICJ ruling, Israel carried out strikes throughout the Gaza Strip yesterday morning as fighting raged between the army and Hamas’ armed wing.
Palestinian witnesses and Agence France-Presse teams reported Israeli strikes or shelling in Rafah, the central city of Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp and elsewhere.
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