THE HAGUE: International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt its military assault on southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Reading out ruling by ICJ, body’s President Nawaf Salam said provisional measures ordered by court in March did not fully address situation in besieged Palestinian enclave now and conditions had been met for new emergency order. “Israel must immediately halt its military offensive” in Rafah, he said.

Court backed South African request to order Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, week after Pretoria called for measure in case accusing Israel of genocide.

Outside, small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags and played rap on boom box calling for free Palestine.

Israel has repeatedly dismissed case’s accusations of genocide as baseless, arguing in court that its operations in Gaza are self-defence and targeted at Hamas militants who attacked Israel on October 7.

Israel’s assault on Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge has set hundreds of thousands of people fleeing what had been refuge for half of enclave’s population.

It has also cut off main access routes for aid into Gaza, drawing international fears of mass casualties and famine.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 25 2024

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