Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a mosque, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 12, 2024. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
South Africa submits urgent request to ICJ on Israeli military offensive in Rafah
South Africa’s government said on Tuesday it made an urgent request to the International Court of Justice to consider whether Israel’s decision to extend its military operations in Rafah, the largest refuge for surviving people in Gaza, required the court to use its power to prevent further breach the rights of Palestinian people in the region.
According to a request submitted Monday, the South African government said it was “gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah, as announced by the State of Israel, has already led to and will result in further large-scale killing, harm, and destruction.”
Israel plans to expand its ground assault into the city of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the offensive that has laid waste to much of Gaza since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7.
The ICJ last month ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa.
(Story compiled with assistance from Reuters)
