Israel Worried ICJ Will Order a Halt of Gaza Military Operations

The court will rule on a request from South Africa to order an end to Israel's attack on Rafah

Israeli officials are worried that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will order a halt to military operations in Gaza as the court is set to rule on an emergency request from South Africa over the Israeli assault on Rafah.

As part of its genocide case against Israel, South Africa asked the ICJ last week to order a halt to Israel’s attack on Rafah and an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza altogether.

“It was Rafah that brought South Africa to the court. But it is all Palestinians as a national, ethnic, and racial group who need the protection from genocide that the court can order,” said Vaughan Lowe, a lawyer for South Africa.

Multiple Israeli media outlets have reported that Israel expects the court to oblige South Africa’s request to some extent, whether by ordering a withdrawal from Rafah or an end to all Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Israeli officials have made clear they wouldn’t follow any ruling from the ICJ, with a government spokesperson telling Reuters that “no power on earth” can stop the Israeli onslaught. But the ruling would add to the international pressure on Israel and the US, which has been enabling the slaughter of Palestinians with military aid and diplomatic support.

Israel Hayom reported that a significant concern among Israeli officials is that an injunction from the ICJ would lead to the UN Security Council crafting a resolution to support the ruling. Israel would then ask the US to veto the resolution.

The US has vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions to support Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and has rejected the ICJ’s ruling that it’s “plausible” Israel is committing genocide. The US has also come out strongly against the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to pursue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials despite backing the court against Russia.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.