INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Judges at the top United Nations court ordered Israel on Friday to immediately halt its military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah,
in a landmark emergency ruling in South Africa&s case accusing Israel of genocide.While the International Court of Justice, or World Court,
has no means to enforce its orders, the case was a stark sign of Israel&s global isolation over its campaign in Gaza, particularly since it
began its offensive against Rafah this month against the pleas of its closest ally the United States.Reading out the ruling, World Court
president Nawaf Salam said the situation in the Palestinian enclave had deteriorated since the court last ordered Israel to take steps to
improve it, and conditions had been met for a new emergency order, Reuters reported.&The state of Israel shall (….) immediately halt its
military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life
that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,& he said.Israel had not explained how it would keep the population safe
during an evacuation of Rafah, or provide food, water, sanitation and medicine for the 800,000 Palestinians that had already fled the
Israeli advance, he said.The ICJ ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza to let in aid
Israel, it added, must provide access for investigators and report back on its progress within one month.The order was adopted by the panel
of 15 international judges in a 13-2 vote, opposed only by judges from Uganda and Israel itself.South Africa hailed the ruling as
groundbreaking.A White House spokesperson said &We&ve been clear and consistent on our position on Rafah.&The internationally recognised
Palestinian Authority said it represented a global consensus that the war must end, although presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said
it did not go far enough because it did not halt fighting in other parts of Gaza.Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters: &We call
Security Council to immediately implement this demand by the World Court into practical measures to compel the Zionist enemy to implement
the decision.&The post World Court orders Israel to halt assault on Gaza&s Rafah first appeared on Ariana News.
