The International Court of Justice (ICJ) mandated Israel immediately cease its military operations in the Southern Gaza city of Rafah, issuing a significant directive that challenges the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government.

This ruling comes in response to a request from South Africa, following accusations of genocide against Israel.

Immediate Halt To Offensive

Nawaf Salam, the head of the ICJ, stated, "Israel must immediately hold its military offensive of any other action in the Rafah governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza, conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part."

The ICJ also stressed the importance of allowing investigators into Gaza.

Salam declared, "Israel must take effective measures to ensure the unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or investigative body mandated by the competent organs of the UN to investigate allegations of genocide."

He noted the provisional measures Israel had taken following a previous ICJ verdict did not fully address the consequences of the changed situation in Gaza.

The court expressed skepticism about Israel’s evacuation efforts in Gaza.

Salam commented, "The court is not convinced that the evacuation efforts and the related measures that Israel affirms to have undertaken to enhance the security of civilians in the Gaza Strip and in particular those recently displaced from Rafah governorate are sufficient to alleviate the immense risk, which the Palestinian population is exposed to as a result of the military offensive in Rafah."

Enforcement And Impact

While ICJ rulings are final and binding, they lack enforcement power. Reuters reported that in March 2022, the ICJ ordered Russia to halt its military campaign in Ukraine, a directive that was ignored. Similarly, Israel could disregard the ruling.

However, such a decision could harm Israel’s international reputation and set a legal precedent, potentially supporting future legal challenges and demands for arms embargoes.

The ruling could intensify diplomatic pressure on Netanyahu’s administration, as well as on Israel’s allies, particularly the U.S.

Earlier this week, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced he had filed an application for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and leaders of Hamas.

Israeli-linked stocks, as tracked by the iShares MSCI Israel ETF EIS rebounded 0.9% Friday, after a 0.7% drop on Thursday.

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