 "Palestinians stand in the ruins of the Chahine family home, after an overnight Israeli strike that killed at least two adults and five boys and girls under the age of 16 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 3, 2024.- AP")
In a major defiant act, Israel conducts strikes in Rafah despite the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) order to halt its operations in the southernmost city in Gaza. Amid the chaos, renewed efforts are underway in Paris to secure a ceasefire in the devastating Israel-Hamas war.
Palestinian witnesses present at the region told AFP that Israel conducted strikes in Rafah and the central city of Deir al-Balah.
“We hope that the court’s decision will put pressure on Israel to end this war of extermination because there is nothing left here,” Oum Mohammad al-Ashqa, a Palestinian woman from Gaza City displaced to Deir al-Balah by the war, told AFP.
“Israel is a state that considers itself above the law. Therefore, I do not believe that the shooting or the war will stop other than by force," Mohammed Saleh another Palestinian civilian residing in Gaza told the news agency.
Israel ignores ICJ ruling
The attack came a day after the international court demanded the “immediate halt” of Israel’s operation in Rafah. The court also called for the release of all hostages still held by Palestinian militants.
The decision came hours after the Israeli military announced that its troops had recovered the bodies of three more of the captives from northern Gaza. When it comes to providing aid to the Gazans, the Hague-based court also ordered Israel to keep open the crucial Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza.
Despite the court orders, Israel gave no indication that it was preparing to change its course in Rafah and insisted that the court got it all wrong. “Israel has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that create living conditions that could cause the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part,” National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a joint statement with Israel’s foreign ministry spokesperson.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIt is important to note that while ICJ’s orders are legally binding, there is a lack of direct enforcement mechanisms
What is happening in Paris?
Meanwhile, separate meetings are scheduled to be held between the CIA chief and Israeli officials and French President Emmanuel Macron’s talks with foreign ministers of four key Arab states, in Paris.
The gathering will discuss the prospects of fresh ceasefire negations, VOA reported. While Burns will conduct a meeting with Israeli officials, Macron held talks with the prime minister of Qatar and the Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers to continue pressing for a ceasefire.
The French office of the president said that the leaders held talks on the Gaza war and ways to set up a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The five countries discussed “the effective implementation of the two-state solution,” it added.
With inputs from agencies.