By Emmanuel Nduka
Top United Nations court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to halt military operations in Rafah “immediately”, a landmark ruling likely to increase mounting international pressure on Israel more than seven months into the Gaza war.
The ICJ also ruled Israel must keep open the key Rafah crossing for “unhindered” humanitarian aid and urged the “unconditional” release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 assault.
While the ICJ’s rulings are legally binding, the court has no concrete means to enforce them.
The court 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.”
On its part, Israel had argued before the court that an order to stop military activity would give free rein to Hamas extremists and prevent its army from rescuing hostages taken in the group’s brutal October 7 attack.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would convene senior ministers after the ruling.
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South Africa hailed the ruling, with Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor saying it was a “much stronger… set of provisional measures, very clear call for a cessation.”
The ICJ ruling comes hot on the heels of another highly charged decision Monday by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders.
Prosecutor Karim Khan alleged that senior Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, plus top Hamas officials, were guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza and the October 7 attack.
So far, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,800 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Ministry of Health.
