International Court of Justice Orders Israel to Stop Its Offensive in Rafah Now

The International Court of Justice on Friday ordered Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where displaced Palestinians have sought shelter from the conflict.

The decision from the world court based in The Hague backed a request brought by South Africa in its case accusing Israel of genocide. The ICJ has no way in which to enforce its orders and Israel has consistently crticized the proceedings as baseless, but the ruling nevertheless adds to international condemnation around the way Jerusalem is carrying out its fight against Hamas.

Before announcing its decision, the court noted that the situation in Rafah has “deteriorated further” since its last order, and that the humanitarian situation in the city is now “disastrous.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.