Hague Court orders Israel to immediately halt offensive on Rafah

(Patria) - The International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled today that Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and other actions in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, citing an "imminent risk" to the Palestinian people, reports the BBC.

The Hague Court thus positively assessed South Africa's request to order Israel to stop its offensive on Rafah and withdraw from Gaza, which is part of a broader case accusing Israel of genocide.

Judge Nawaf Salam explained the decision by noting that the current situation in Gaza entails significant risks of irreparable harm to human rights.

He stated that the situation has changed since the Court issued its previous orders and that conditions have been met for new urgent measures in this case.

The Court ordered Israel to report to it within one month and to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt for the influx of larger amounts of humanitarian aid.

Recall, although ICJ rulings are legally binding, in practice the Court cannot enforce them.

- There is no force in the world that could force us to commit public suicide, to stop fighting against Hamas - said Israeli government spokesman David Mencer.

Israeli cabinet ministers are meeting later to discuss the ruling, but government officials earlier said no power on earth would prevent Israel from protecting its citizens and pursuing Hamas in Gaza.

- The fact that the ICJ did not even directly link the end of the military operation in Rafah to the release of hostages and Israel's right to defend itself from terror is an ultimate moral failure - believes Israeli opposition politician Yair Lapid.

The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank, and Hamas, which governs Gaza and sparked this war with a terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 last year, welcomed this decision.

However, Hamas says the call to halt the offensive should cover all of Gaza, not just Rafah.

- The ruling represents an international consensus on ending the war in the Gaza Strip - said Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina for Reuters.

- We welcome the decision of the International Court of Justice, which demands that the brutal Zionist entity stop its aggression against our people in the city of Rafah - added a Hamas spokesman.

A small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in front of the court, calling for a free Palestine.

The ICJ is the highest UN body for disputes between states. Its decisions are final and binding, but are often ignored. The Court has no power to enforce them by force.

The Court's decision could, however, result in greater diplomatic pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.