Israel, June 5, 2024
The ICJ ruled in a case in which it ruled the invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah was prohibited and demanded Israel cease the military operation instantly. This is the third time this year that the 15-judge panel will address the humanitarian calamity in Gaza and stop further erosion of infrastructures and services.
The ICJ President, Nawaf Salam, pointed out that the situation in Rafah was even worse than it was previously, with standards of living deteriorating for a population of approximately 600,000 Palestinians. He referred to the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, estimating approximately half of the 1.
Two million Palestinian people who took refuge in Rafah were children. Salam stated that the military operations in Rafah would lead to the complete devastation of the services and structures that are basic at this stage for the population.
The decision was made just a few minutes before the heavy shelling of Rafah by Israel, which sealed off an area around the hospital and trapped a medical team inside the building. The Israeli government stated that it would press on with its military operation in Rafah and abide by the said ruling in its capacity.
More Read
Nevertheless, this decision has put more pressure on Israel from the international community to be more cautious in its conduct of military operations.The order of the ICJ is essential because it paved a new orientation in the international community towards the war.
The USA has been concerned with the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the fact that a large-scale operation could lead to a significant loss of civilian lives, even though the US has in the past been a major supporter of Israel.
The decision has also raised controversy inside the European Union, with some of its members demanding more substantial pressure upon Israel to implement the court’s decision.Even though the ruling has no precedential force, it will likely bring more international pressure on Israel to stop its military operations in Rafah.
The United Nations Security Council may well feel that it has to go in and defend the Palestinians. There may be a draft resolution coming out demanding that Israel comply with the court order.
