Christian Aid: UN court ruling for Israel to stop Rafah offensive 'must be implemented immediately'

Rafah under bombardment earlier this month - ICN screenshot

Source: Christian Aid

The international development agency Christian Aid says all states should get behind the UN's International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision that Israel must halt its military offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.

The ruling follows South Africa's petition to the ICJ for emergency measures, to order Israel to halt all operations that threaten the survival of the Palestinian people.

IOPT Programme Manager at Christian Aid, Julie Mehigan, said: "In its ruling the ICJ has demonstrated at last that the international rules-based order can work for the protection of Palestinian civilians.

"The order to halt military actions in Rafah needs to be implemented immediately. Crossings need to be opened so that aid can be delivered to starving people at scale.

"All states must get behind the ruling and take whatever measures are necessary to ensure it is upheld. After almost eight months of terror our partners along with all Palestinian civilians and the hostages in Gaza deserve nothing less."

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor asked the court's judges earlier this week to approve the arrest warrants of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Tonight, Husam Zomlot, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the UK, has written on X (formerly Twitter): 'Israel commits a massacre in #Rafah this evening, dropping several 2,000 pound bombs on civilian tents and #UN compounds, murdering dozens of civilians seeking shelter. This was Israel's response to the @CIJ_ICJ ruling Friday that it must halt its offensive on Rafah.'

Mustafa Barghouti, Palestinian doctor and politician writes: 'Horrible scenes of a new massacre in Rafah: The Israeli army committed a horrific massacre in North West Rafah which is supposed to be a safe area bombarding and burning tents of displaced Palestinians killing more than 30 civilians many of whom were burned to death and injuring many others.