ICJ Orders Israel To Halt Rafah Invasion Immediately

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), or The Hague, has, in a new ruling, ordered Israel to halt its invasion in the Southern Gaza city of Rafah with immediate effect.

In a panel of fourteen permanent Judges on Friday and an ad hoc judge representing Israel, the ICJ’s President, Nawaf Salam, said the provisional measures previously ordered by the court in March did not fully address the situation in Gaza.

Following the disclosure that the humanitarian situation in Rafah had “deteriorated” further than it was, the ICJ has since, in a new order, issued an emergency order for Israel to end its military assault and withdrawal from Gaza.

“Israel must immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah,” Salam said.

In its ruling, the Court said it was “not convinced” that the evacuation of Rafah and other measures by Israel were sufficient to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians.

But in a subsequent ruling, the ICJ ordered Israel to give room for investigators, preserve evidence, and open the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian aid to make entry into Gaza.

Meanwhile, South Africa, which sued Israel for Genocidal intent in January, asked the ICJ to impose emergency measures, saying Palestinians’ survival depends on stopping Israel’s attack on Rafah.

While the ICJ did not explicitly rule on the genocide accusation, it has granted South Africa’s request to order Israel to halt its assault on Palestinians.

The State of Palestine has since welcomed the decision, saying it represents an “international consensus” to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

Following the ICJ’s ruling, Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has reacted, saying those who demand that Israel stop the war are “demanding that it should decide to cease to exist.”

Israel will not agree to that, he said.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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