THE HAGUE, May 25 (NNN-XINHUA) – The International Court of Justice (ICJ), yesterday, issued new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah, in southern Gaza, and to open the governate’s border crossing for urgent aid deliveries.
This follows a request from South Africa, in a pending case accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Reading the new provisional measures in an open session at the court in The Hague, ICJ Justice, Nawaf Salam, announced that, Israel must abide by its obligations under the Genocide Convention, to “immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah governate, which may inflict upon the Palestinian group in Gaza, conditions of life that would bring about its physical destruction, in whole and in part.”
The court issued that decision by 13 votes in favour, to two against. The new provisional measures came, in response to South Africa’s request, made on May 10, related to its initial accusations in Dec that, Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention, during the war in Gaza, which broke out after Hamas-led attacks on Israel in Oct, that killed less than 1,200 people, and left another 250 taken hostage.
Israel’s military response has, to date, killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and caused widespread destruction and a looming famine in the besieged and bombarded enclave.– NNN-XINHUA
