The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday said that it does not see the need for additional emergency measures to protect Palestinians’ rights following Israel’s Rafah offensive.
The court said the “perilous situation” in the Gaza Strip and in Rafah particularly “demands immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures” per its order on Jan. 26, and “does not demand the indication of additional provisional measures.”
The decision comes after South Africa asked the World Court to consider whether Israel’s plan to extend its offensive in Gaza into the city of Rafah requires additional emergency measures to protect Palestinians’ rights earlier this month.
PRESS RELEASE: the #ICJ issues its decision on South Africa’s request for additional provisional measures in the case of Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (#SouthAfrica v. #Israel) https://t.co/dh9olqXtD9 pic.twitter.com/KLIMOD69uo
— CIJ_ICJ (@CIJ_ICJ) February 16, 2024
South African officials on Tuesday filed a further request to the court, asking it to order new measures in the light of Israel’s preparation of a new operation against Rafah.
More than half of Gaza’s 2.4 million population have sought shelter there from Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip.
The ICJ’s judges acknowledged that the recent developments “‘would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences'” — citing remarks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
