Judges at the top United Nations court ordered on Friday that Israel should halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The judges went further to order Israel to withdraw from the besieged Rafah “immediately”.
Reading out the ruling, the International Court of Justice President, Nawaf Salam 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,” Salam said, and called the humanitarian situation in Rafah “disastrous”. 13 of the 15 ICJ Judges all endorsed the ruling.
Friday’s decision marked the most strongly worded position of the ICJ against the actions of Israel against the Palestinian since the beginning of the present war on Gaza. This present decision marked the third time this year the 15-judge panel has issued preliminary orders seeking to rein in on humanitarian catastrophe following Israel devastating war on the Palestinians.
South Africa which had been in the fore front of the legal action against Israel at the ICJ, last week asked the court to impose emergency measures, saying Israel’s attacks on Rafah must be stopped to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people.
EU supports ruling
In a rare EU support going against Israel, A top EU official Janez Lenarcic, says he expects the “full and immediate implementation” of the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering a halt to military operations in Rafah and to open the land cross. “ICJ’s orders are binding on the parties and they must comply with them,” said Lenarcic, who is the European Commissioner for crisis management.
Analyst see this as an emerging growing consensus on the against the continuous military action of Israel against the Palestinians.
It should be remembered that several EU countries have directly shown support for the Palestinians with Ireland, Norway and Spain saying on Wednesday they will formally recognise Palestinian statehood on May 28.
Saudi Arabia leads Muslim Nations in expressing support for the ICJ Ruling
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Friday thus: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the decision issued by the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to immediately stop the military attack or any other actions in the Rafah Governorate, in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”.
Egypt had earlier warned on Monday against Israel’s continued military operations in Rafah, which it noted was preventing aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip.
