The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to suspend its military offensive in Rafah, southern Gaza, and take steps to ensure that United Nations investigators have unrestricted access to Gaza to investigate genocide charges.
In a verdict issued Friday, the court also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Hamas hostages.
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Despite the ruling, the International Court of Justice lacks the authority to execute it; therefore, a swift cease-fire is unlikely. Russia has so far rejected the ICJ’s injunction to stop its invasion of Ukraine.
The cease-fire request was made as part of South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza when it struck Hamas after the group’s violent assault on Israel on October 7. Israel has categorically disputed the allegations of genocide.
While the lawsuit is likely to take years to resolve, South Africa sought cease-fire orders to safeguard Palestinians in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry and U.N. officials, Israel’s offensive has killed over 35,000 Palestinians, resulting in a humanitarian crisis and a near-famine.
In a joint statement Friday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry and chief of staff for national security called the accusation of genocide “false, outrageous, and disgusting” and said the country is taking steps to facilitate humanitarian aid while waging a “justified defensive war to eliminate the Hamas organization and free our hostages.”
An Israeli government spokesperson told CBS News’ partner network BBC News that “there is no power in the world that will push us to commit a public suicide, because that’s what this is, to stop our war against Hamas.”
The verdict adds to the growing international pressure on Israel to halt military operations in Gaza, nearly eight months into the conflict with Hamas.
A prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, also situated in The Hague, the Netherlands, has revealed that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three Hamas commanders.
“No amount of pressure and no decision in any international forum will prevent Israel from defending itself against those who seek our destruction,” Netanyahu stated in response to the ICC’s announcement.
Shortly after the ICJ announcement, the CBS News team inside Gaza reported airstrikes in the Rafah area.
