Israel started its offensive in Gaza to attempt to get rid of Hamas (File)
Tel Aviv, Israel:
Israel considers that an order by the World Courtroom to halt its army offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza permits room for some army motion there, Israeli officers mentioned.
In an emergency ruling in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide, judges on the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice ordered Israel on Friday to right away halt its assault on Rafah, the place Israel says it’s rooting out Hamas fighters.
“What they’re asking us, is to not commit genocide in Rafah. We didn’t commit genocide and we won’t commit genocide,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationwide safety adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, instructed Israel’s N12 TV on Saturday.
Requested whether or not the Rafah offensive would proceed, Hanegbi mentioned: “In keeping with worldwide regulation, we now have the fitting to defend ourselves and the proof is that the court docket is just not stopping us from persevering with to defend ourselves.”
The ICJ, which relies in The Hague, didn’t instantly touch upon Hanegbi’s remarks. Hamas additionally didn’t instantly remark.
One other Israeli official pointed to the phrasing of the ruling by the ICJ, or World Courtroom, depicting it as conditional.
“The order in regard to the Rafah operation is just not a basic order,” the official mentioned on situation of anonymity.
Studying out the ruling, the ICJ’s president, Nawaf Salam, mentioned the scenario in Gaza had deteriorated because the court docket final ordered Israel to take steps to enhance it, and circumstances had been met for a brand new emergency order.
“The state of Israel shall (…) instantly halt its army offensive, and some other motion within the Rafah governorate, which can inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza circumstances of life that would result in its bodily destruction in complete or partially,” Salam mentioned.
That wording doesn’t rule out all army motion, the Israeli official mentioned.
“Now we have by no means, and we won’t, conduct any army motion in Rafah or elsewhere which can inflict any circumstances of life to deliver in regards to the destruction of the civilian inhabitants in Gaza, not in complete and never partially,” the official mentioned.
Whereas the court docket has no means to implement its orders, the case is an indication of Israel’s rising diplomatic isolation over its marketing campaign in opposition to Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza.
Israel started its offensive in Gaza to attempt to get rid of Hamas after the group stormed into southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7 final yr. It has pressed on with its offensive because the ICJ ruling.
Practically 36,000 Palestinians have been killed within the offensive, Gaza’s well being ministry says, and far of Gaza has been devastated. About 1,200 individuals have been killed and greater than 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7, in accordance with Israeli tallies.
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