UN expert: ‘Very little hope’ of Israel abiding by ICJ order to stop Rafah invasion

from Mondoweiss

As if Israel’s legal and diplomatic woes weren’t dire enough, this afternoon in The Hague, the International Court of Justice ordered it to suspend its military operations in Rafah, to open the Rafah crossing to humanitarian aid, and to allow international observers into Gaza to ensure that evidence of Israeli genocide is not destroyed.

Today’s landmark ICJ “provisional measures” order is the Court’s response to South Africa’s May 10 application. 

The situation in Gaza — and in Rafah particularly — couldn’t be more urgent, South Africa told the top UN court in its application, triggering two days of hearings. South Africa presented on Thursday, May 16. 

“The onslaught on the Palestinians in Gaza is of a nature that can only be intended to result in the genocidal destruction of that group,” South Africa’s application stated. “In attacking Rafah, Israel is attacking the ‘last refuge’ in Gaza, and the only remaining area of the Strip which has not yet been substantially destroyed by Israel. With Rafah’s destruction, the destruction of Gaza itself will be complete.”

Israeli attorneys responded the following day, refuting all of South Africa’s charges — “obscene,” “blood libels,” all of them...

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