The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has ordered Israel to halt its military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, due to the “immediate risk” to the rights of the civilian population. The court has also mandated that free access be granted to the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for the transfer of humanitarian aid. Additionally, the court has ruled that Israel must allow investigators access to the Gaza Strip and take measures to prevent the destruction of evidence related to the Genocide Convention.
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The court determined that Israel had not taken sufficient measures to safeguard civilians in the Gaza Strip, leading to an immediate and tangible risk to the residents of Rafah. Israel is required to provide a progress report within a month on the implementation of the measures mandated by the court. Thirteen judges supported the court’s ruling, while two dissented, including Aharon Barak, who was appointed to the court by Israel. The court made minimal mention of the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, except for a statement by Judge Nawaf Salam, the court president, urging their release towards the end of the judgment.
The court’s decisions today follow a motion by the South African government. The court has yet to rule on the primary South African motion asserting that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip should be considered genocide.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, ministers, and lawyers after the court’s ruling was announced.
In a separate development, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, has requested the court to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Minister of Defense on charges of committing war crimes.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on May 24, 2024.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2024.
