Saturday, February 17, 2024
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected South Africa's request for an immediate halt to Israel's military operations in Rafah.
A press release issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday said that in view of the attacks by Israel in the Gaza Strip, immediate measures should be taken to protect Rafah. South Africa's request has been rejected.
The petition quoted the UN Secretary General as saying that the court noted that the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and Rafah in particular present a terrifying scenario of a humanitarian catastrophe with consequences. Will not be good.
The petition said that in view of the situation in Rafah, temporary measures should be implemented in an immediate and effective manner while ordering Israel to implement the order issued on January 24, 2024, saying that within its power Take all measures to ensure that acts of genocide against Palestinians do not continue.
The Court emphasizes that the State of Israel is obliged to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, including the above-mentioned provision to ensure the safety and security of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The ICJ statement added that there is no need for a new order because the existing measures apply to the entire Gaza Strip, including Rafah.
South Africa said on Tuesday that it had filed a request with the ICJ for urgent jurisdiction to consider whether the actions of Israeli troops targeting Rafah amounted to genocide. In this case, the temporary orders given by the court last month have been violated.
On the other hand, Israel on Thursday called the court to reject the request, calling South Africa's request unjustified.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 29,000 Palestinians have been martyred and nearly 20,000 have been displaced in the ongoing Israeli bombing and ground operations since October 7.
It should be noted that the request made by South Africa mentioned the millions of civilians trapped in Rafah and also stated that the attacks by Israel constituted a grave and irreparable violation of the Genocide Convention. There will be more mass casualties, damage and destruction.