RAFAH: Israel has disregarded the United Nations’ top court verdict and bombed Gaza, including Rafah, on Saturday. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ordered Israel on Friday to immediately cease its comprehensive military operation in Gaza.
The ICJ also called for the immediate release of all captives still held by Hamas, just hours after the Israeli army announced that forces had recovered the bodies of three more detainees from northern Gaza.
Additionally, the court mandated that Israel keep the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt open, which Israel had closed earlier this month at the start of its assault on the city. Israel has given no indication that it plans to comply with this order regarding Rafah.
Hamas welcomed the ICJ’s directive on Rafah but criticized the court for excluding the rest of Gaza from its order.
Despite the court’s ruling, Israel conducted attacks on Gaza early Saturday, while clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas continued. Palestinian witnesses and AFP reported Israeli strikes in Rafah and the main city of Deir Al-Balah.
Oum Mohammad Al-Ashqa, a Palestinian woman from Gaza City, expressed hope that the court’s decision would pressure Israel to end the conflict, stating there is nothing left here. Another Palestinian, Mohammed Saleh, commented that Israel considers itself above the law and expressed doubt that the war would cease.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that Israel’s offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 35,800 people in Gaza, mostly women and children.
The ICJ order comes ahead of separate meetings on the Gaza conflict in Paris, involving the CIA chief and Israeli representatives on one side, and French President Emmanuel Macron and the foreign ministers of four key regional states on the other.
Truce talks involving US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators ended shortly after Israel launched the Rafah operation. However, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated this week that the war cabinet had instructed the Israeli team to “continue talks for the return of the captives.”
