Israel must comply with the order of the International Court of Justice, asking it to immediately stop military operations in Rafah

Responding to the International Court of Justice in power today, which ordered Israel to immediately halt military operations in Rafah governorate following South Africa's application for additional interim measures in its genocide case, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa , said:

With this order, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's top court, has made it clear: the Israeli authorities must completely stop military operations in Rafah, as any continued military action could constitute an act of genocide. Undoubtedly, the land incursion and the accompanying mass displacement it has caused pose further irreparable danger to the rights of the Palestinian people protected by the Genocide Convention and further threaten their physical destruction in whole or in part.

It has been nearly four months since the ICJ first granted interim relief in the South African v. Israel genocide case. In that time, the humanitarian situation for Palestinians has worsened exponentially with 35,000 Palestinians killed, adding to evidence of unlawful attacks on civilians and the UN declaring a famine amid a continued dire lack of humanitarian aid.

Despite these facts, Israeli authorities pressed ahead with plans for a ground operation in Rafah, ignoring repeated warnings about the catastrophic impact it would have on Palestinian civilians, most of whom have been forcibly displaced several times already—as well as on the entire system. of humanitarian aid to Gaza. . The ground occupation in eastern Rafah has already led to the mass forced displacement of over 800,000 Palestinians and the closure of the provinces largest hospital, Abu Yousef al-Najjar.

Significantly, the Court exposed the abuse of safe zones that the Israeli authorities have used to put a veneer of legality over operations. The areas where Israel has forced people to evacuate, especially al-Mawasi, are woefully ill-equipped to host them and lack the most basic standards of safe and dignified living conditions, including adequate water, sanitation, food , medicine and housing. Israel's actions, including the closure of the Rafah border crossing on May 7, show that its forces, far from protecting civilians in Gaza, have consistently pursued cruel and inhumane policies and shown a shocking disregard for the lives of Palestinians who face danger real genocide.

With this order, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN's top court, has made it clear: the Israeli authorities must completely stop military operations in Rafah, as any continued military action could constitute an act of genocide.

Heba Morayef, Amnesty International

The Court has spoken and it is time for Israel and all states to act in accordance with their obligations in the Genocide Convention. Israel must immediately halt its ground operations in Rafah and indeed halt military operations throughout Gaza and ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid and services.

The court also ordered Israel to allow unimpeded access to fact-finding missions, UN commissions of inquiry, investigators and journalists to preserve evidence and record conditions on the ground in Gaza, as well as to independently investigate and impartially possible violations of the Genocide Convention.

Given the previous orders, this order is no longer a wake-up call to all States, but a further clear affirmation of their legal duty to prevent genocide, which requires them to ensure that all interim measures of the ICJ to be properly implemented. Israel's allies must use every capacity they have to influence Israel's actions to halt ground operations in Rafah and push for an immediate and lasting ceasefire by all parties.

A ceasefire remains the most effective means of alleviating mass civilian suffering and ensuring that the ICJ's measures, including its call for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups, can be truly implemented to prevent genocide against Palestinians.