Many figures around the world welcome the ruling while Israeli officials express anger and defiance.
The top United Nations court has ordered Israel to “immediately” halt its military assault on Rafah, describing the humanitarian situation in the southern Gaza city, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are sheltering, as “disastrous”.
Israel must “immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah Governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part”, the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) president, Nawaf Salam, said.
The emergency measures were ordered on the request of South Africa as part of its genocide case against Israel.
The ICJ has ordered Israel to report back to the court within a month about its progress in applying measures ordered by the institution. It has also ordered Israel to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt for humanitarian assistance.
Here are some reactions from leaders and organisations across the world:
“The presidency welcomes the decision issued by the International Court of Justice, which represents an international consensus on the demand to stop the all-out war on Gaza,” Rudeineh said.
Naim said Hamas welcomed the decision by the World Court “that calls on the Zionist occupation forces to end its military aggression on Rafah”.
He added that the group also welcomes the court’s request to allow investigators into the Gaza Strip to probe “acts of genocide against the Palestinian people and Hamas pledges to cooperate with investigation committees”.
“We continue to fight for ourselves and for the entire free world. History will judge who today stood by the Nazis of Hamas and ISIS [ISIL],” he added.
“The fact that the court in The Hague did not make the connection in its ruling between the cessation of fighting in Rafah and the return of the hostages and Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism is a moral collapse and a moral disaster,” Lapid said.
Gantz said Israel “set out on a just and necessary campaign following the brutal massacre of its citizens, abhorrent sexual violence perpetrated against its women, kidnapping of its children and rockets fired at its cities”.
“The State of Israel is committed to continue fighting to return its hostages and promise the security of its citizens – wherever and whenever necessary – including in Rafah,” he added.
Palestinian Authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh
“Judges of the High Court in The Hague are invited to come to Gaza and convince Hamas to return our abductees home,” Zohar said on X.
“This case is thus focused on the ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are now facing their seventh month of suffering through collective punishment for something for which they have no individual responsibility.
“South Africa remains concerned that the United Nations Security Council has so far not succeeded in stopping the human suffering.”
Dangor said the court’s ruling “is groundbreaking”.
“This is de facto calling for a ceasefire. It is ordering the major party in this conflict to end its belligerent action against the people of Palestine,” he said.
“This order like the others … are binding, and Israel has to adhere to them.”
Borrell said the EU would have to state its position on the ICJ’s ruling.
“We will have to choose between our support to international institutions of the rule of law or our support to Israel,” he said.
“Egypt calls on Israel to comply with its legal obligations within the framework of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and international humanitarian law, and to implement all interim measures issued by the ICJ, which are considered legally binding and enforceable, as they are issued by the highest international judicial body.
“Egypt stresses that Israel bears full legal responsibility for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as the occupying power, calling on Israel to stop its systematic policies against the Palestinian people of targeting, starvation and siege in violation of all provisions of international law and international humanitarian law.”
“As far as I’m concerned, the ICJ can go to hell. It is long past time to stand up to these so-called international justice organizations associated with the UN. Their anti-Israel bias is overwhelming.
“The ICJ’s ruling that Israel should stop operations that are necessary to destroy four battalions of Hamas killers and terrorists – who use Palestinians as human shields – is ridiculous.
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