ICJ orders Israel to 'immediately' halt its Rafah offensive

LONDON/GENEVA

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza Strip where it sent forces in early May.

The order, adopted by the panel of 15 judges in a 13-2 vote, came a week after it was requested by South Africa as part of its case accusing Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.

"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," said ICJ President Nawaf Salam, reading out the ruling.

The ICJ said modification in its March 28 order, which ordered "unhindered provision" of aid to Gaza, was in view of change in circumstances due to the offensive on Rafah, where displaced Palestinians had taken refuge from the war that started in October. According to UN agencies, more than 800,000 have since fled the city due to the ground invasion.

"The Court observes that Israel has not provided sufficient information concerning the safety of the population during the evacuation process, or the availability in the Al-Mawasi area of the necessary amount of water, sanitation, food, medicine and shelter for the 800,000 Palestinians that have evacuated thus far. Consequently, the Court is of the view that Israel has not sufficiently addressed and dispelled the concerns raised by its military offensive in Rafah," the ruling said.

The UN court's first order that indicated provisional measures for Israel’s government to desist from genocidal acts, and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza came on Jan. 26.

The ICJ also reaffirmed its provisional measures indicated in its previous orders.

Besides, the ICJ ordered maintaining the Rafah border crossing open "for unhindered provision at scale of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance."

It called on Israel to "ensure access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or other investigative body mandated by competent organs of the United Nations to investigate allegations of genocide."

It also ordered Tel Aviv to submit a report on the measures taken on the latest order within a month.

The court reiterated its concern over the fate of the hostages abducted by Hamas during its Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and called for their "immediate and unconditional" release. Israel has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians and injured many more in Gaza Strip last seven months, leveled most of territory and created famine-like conditions in the blockaded enclave.