The enforcement of a World Court ruling ordering Israel to halt its assault on Rafah may pose a challenge, as analysts point out that the court itself lacks enforcement powers. Heidi Matthews, an assistant law professor at York University, explained that the United Nations Security Council would be the appropriate body to enforce the ruling. However, the presence of the U.S. veto on the Security Council could complicate matters.
Kenneth Roth, a former executive director of Human Rights Watch, highlighted the importance of focusing on other war crimes and crimes against humanity occurring in the region, aside from the debate on genocide. The World Court’s ruling was a preliminary one based on a very low threshold of proof, with more serious cases still pending resolution.
World Court president Nawaf Salam emphasized that the situation in the Palestinian enclave had worsened since the last court order for Israel to address the conditions. Israel’s military actions in Gaza were triggered by attacks from Hamas-led militants, resulting in casualties on both sides. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.
The U.N. Security Council has the authority to enforce the ICJ ruling, but opposition from strong allies like United States could hinder
