THE HAGUE: The judge from India at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Justice Dalveer Bhandari, voted in favour of new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza and open the governorate’s border crossing for urgent aid deliveries.
The court issued the decision by 13 votes in favour and two against.
Besides Justice Bhandari, Judge Sarah Cleveland, an American, also voted to end Israel’s military operation in Rafah.
The only two judges who voted against the ruling were Judge Julia Sebutinde from Uganda and Judge Aharon Barak (former Israeli High Court president).
The ICJ’s new provisional measures came in response to South Africa’s request made on May 10 that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza. Israel’s military response has, to date, killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction and a looming famine in the besieged and bombarded Gaza, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, International Court of Justice Chief Justice Nawaf Salam had recalled that in the two previous orders for provisional measures the court expressed its grave concern over the fate of the hostages abducted during the attack in Israel on October 7, 2023.
He called for their immediate and unconditional release stating that “the court finds it deeply troubling that many of these hostages remain in captivity and reiterates its call for their immediate and unconditional release”.
The International Court of Justice cannot enforce its order but the ruling symbolises Israel’s isolation over its assault on Gaza.