The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the United Nations, on Friday rejected South Africa’s additional request against Israel, which announced a major offensive against Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, considering that the Jewish state must respect the measures already ordered.
The ICJ ordered Israel to prevent any possible act of genocide in Gaza
Pretoria had already referred the matter to the ICJ, based in The Hague, arguing that Israel’s operations in Gaza amounted to a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The court has yet to rule on this point, but on January 26, it ordered Israel to prevent any possible act of genocide and to allow access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, South African authorities filed a new appeal with the ICJ, asking it to order new measures after Israel’s announcement of an upcoming military offensive on Rafah, where more than half of the 2.4 million Gaza residents took refuge.
In their decision on Friday, the ICJ judges noted that “the events that occurred very recently in the Gaza Strip, and in particular in Rafah, would lead to an exponential worsening of what is already a humanitarian nightmare with consequences unfathomable regional problems’, as indicated by the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, according to a press release.
But they add that “this alarming situation requires the immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures indicated by the Court in its order of January 26, 2024, which are applicable to the entire Gaza Strip, including Rafah, and not do not require the indication of additional measures. “The State of Israel remains fully obligated to fulfill its obligations under the Genocide Convention and to execute the said order, including ensuring the safety and security of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” again remind the judges of the ICJ.
Israel to coordinate with Egypt ahead of military operation in Rafah
The war was sparked on October 7 by an unprecedented attack by Hamas commandos infiltrated from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,160 people, the majority civilians killed that day. , according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data.
In retaliation, the Israeli government vowed to destroy Hamas, which has been in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007. At least 28,775 people have been killed since the start of the war in the Palestinian territory, the vast majority civilians, according to Hamas. According to Israel, 130 hostages are still in Gaza, 29 of whom are believed to have died, out of around 250 people kidnapped on October 7. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Friday that his country will coordinate with Egypt ahead of its military operation in Rafah.
This will be carried out “after we have coordinated with Egypt”, he assured, adding that Israel would “keep US President Joe Biden informed” of the military offensive. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled northern Gaza to Rafah as the Israeli army advanced in waging war against Hamas. With the border with Egypt closed, some 1.5 million Palestinians are stuck in the crowded city.