The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to stop its military assault on Rafah in Gaza. Hamas, the ruling party in Palestine, welcomed the decision, but believed it was insufficient, as the aggression extended beyond Rafah. They called on the U.N. Security Council to enforce the decision and end the war on Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority also welcomed the ruling, seeing it as an international consensus to end the war on Gaza. However, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that demands for Israel to stop the war were essentially demands for the country to cease to exist, which they would not agree to comply with. An Israeli government spokesperson emphasized Israel’s commitment to protecting its citizens and targeting Hamas in Gaza.
Hamas expressed willingness to cooperate with investigation committees to look into acts of war against the Palestinian people. They hoped that this cooperation would lead to a resolution of the conflict and bring peace and stability back to Gaza.
