Israel does not seem to want to comply after the decision of the International Court of Justice, which ordered it on Friday May 24 to stop “ immediately » his offensive in Rafah. South Africa, which had referred the matter to the ICJ, estimated last week that “ the genocide » committed by Israel in Gaza had reached a “ horrible level “. Prime Minister Netanyahu consulted his government immediately after the Hague court’s order was issued on Friday (May 24).
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Michael Paul
Israel has its own interpretation of the decision of the International Court of Justiceand, according to a joint statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council, “ has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that could lead to the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part “.
In other words, Israeli officials intend to continue the fighting in Rafah. This Saturday morning, the Israeli army was already bombing Rafah. However, they indicate their intention to comply with the directives of the International Court in The Hague by allowing the passage of humanitarian aid, in particular through the Rafah terminal. And take possible precautions to minimize damage to the civilian population.
Its army launched ground operations in Rafah on May 7, with the objective of annihilating the last battalions of Hamas, which was behind the unprecedented attack on Israeli soil on October 7 that sparked the war. .
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office has once again rejected South Africa’s accusations against Israel as false. For his part, opposition leader Yair Lapid considered that the fact that the judges in The Hague did not establish a link between the cessation of fighting and the release of the hostages was a moral disaster. And on the far right, Finance Minister Betsalel Smotrich proclaims that history will judge those who stood alongside Hamas.
Talks in Paris on a ceasefire
Earlier this week, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested the issuance of arrest warrants for alleged crimes committed in the Gaza Strip and in Israel against Hamas and Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. If the Israeli government castigated the prosecutor’s announcement, it nevertheless ordered its negotiators to “ return to the negotiating table to obtain the return of the hostages “, according to a senior official.
In early May, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, through Qatar, Egypt and the United States, did not result in a truce agreement associated with the release of Palestinian hostages and prisoners. held by Israel.
CIA chief William Burns is expected in Paris to try to restart talks on a truce and French President Emmanuel Macron received the Prime Minister of Qatar and the Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers on Friday. According to the French presidency, the leaders discussed the implementation of the “ two-state solution “, or a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. Spain, Ireland and Norway recently announced that they recognize the State of Palestine. The leaders also spoke of “ levers which could be activated in order to obtain the reopening of all the crossing points » towards this Palestinian territory and examined how “ increase and deepen their cooperation in humanitarian aid “.