Israel Continues Bombing Gaza Despite ICJ Order to Halt Military Operations

Rafah, The Gulf Observer: Israel launched airstrikes on Gaza, including the city of Rafah, just a day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered an immediate cessation of military operations in the southern city. This development comes amid ongoing efforts in Paris to broker a ceasefire.

The ICJ, in its ruling, also called for the immediate release of all hostages still held in Gaza. This order followed an announcement by the Israeli military that it had recovered the bodies of three more captives from northern Gaza. The court, based in The Hague, issued legally binding orders but acknowledged the lack of direct enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance.

Additionally, the ICJ mandated Israel to reopen the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which had been closed earlier this month at the onset of the Israeli assault on the city. Despite these orders, Israel signaled no intention of altering its military strategy in Rafah, asserting that the court’s decision was erroneous.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas expressed approval of the ICJ’s ruling regarding Rafah but criticized the court for not extending the order to cover the entirety of Gaza, which remains heavily impacted by ongoing conflict.

Reports from Palestinian witnesses and AFP teams confirmed that Israeli airstrikes targeted Rafah as well as the central city of Deir al-Balah, indicating a continuation of hostilities despite international legal directives and diplomatic efforts.