ICJ orders Israel to immediately stop its military offensive in Rafah

In January, the court stopped short of ordering Israel to stop its military incursion in the occupied territory. Following last week’s oral arguments by both South Africa and Israel, the International Court of Justice said that the current situation in Gaza was placing Palestinians at further risk of irreparable prejudice.  Reaffirming provisional measures already issued in January and modified in March, on Friday it went a step further. Court president Nawaf Salam read out the order, agreed to by 13 votes to two. “The state of Israel shall, in view of the worsening conditions of life…