The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is examining South Africa’s request to impose urgent measures on Israel to withdraw its forces from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
The court, based in The Hague, is set to hear lawyers representing South Africa and Israel’s response tomorrow.
South Africa had asked the court to urge Israel to immediately withdraw its forces and stop its military offensive against the city of Rafah and to immediately take all effective measures to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza
It also asked the court to issue an order to Israel to allow UN officials and organizations providing humanitarian aid, as well as journalists and investigators, to enter the Strip without hindrance.
“Israel has so far been ignoring and violating the orders previously issued by the court,” it added.
In January, the International Court of Justice called on Israel to avoid any act that would lead to genocide, and to facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza.
A few weeks later, South Africa requested new measures, pointing to Israel’s announcement of its intention to launch an attack on Rafah, but the court rejected this request.
At the beginning of March, South Africa again asked the court to impose new emergency measures on Israel. In the same month, the court ordered Israel to ensure the arrival of “urgent humanitarian aid” to Gaza in light of “a famine that has begun to spread” in the besieged Strip.
Recently, countries including Libya, Egypt, and Turkey announced their intention to formally intervene to support South Africa’s lawsuit in the “genocide” case filed against Israel in the International Court of Justice due to its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
The International Court of Justice hearings come within the framework of an ongoing case in which Israel is also accused of committing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people.
It should be noted that the rulings and orders of the International Court of Justice are binding and cannot be appealed. Although the court has no way to enforce its rulings, issuing an order against a country may harm its reputation on the international stage and set a legal precedent.
Two weeks ago, the occupation forces began a military operation in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and called on citizens and those displaced to the eastern areas to go to the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.
Source: WAFA
