Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib has called for the immediate enforcement of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling, which orders Israel to cease its military operations in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip. Hadja Lahbib emphasized the urgent need for compliance in a post on her X account on Friday, stating, “The @CIJ_ICJ orders Israel to stop its military offensive in Rafah. Belgium calls for immediate implementation of the decision. The violence and human suffering in Gaza must stop. We call for a ceasefire, the release of the hostages, and negotiations for two States.”
The call from Belgium’s foreign minister follows a directive issued by ICJ President Nawaf Salam, who mandated that Israel “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.” This ruling was delivered during a session addressing South Africa’s request for the ICJ to intervene in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The ICJ ruling outlined three key points: the cessation of Israeli military operations in Rafah, the maintenance of open access at the Rafah crossing to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the submission of a report by Israel within a month detailing the steps it will take to comply with the court’s orders.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 116,000 Palestinian casualties, including many women and children, and approximately 10,000 individuals are reported missing amid widespread destruction and famine affecting the most vulnerable populations.
Despite the ICJ’s ruling and the United Nations Security Council’s resolution calling for an immediate end to the fighting, Israel has continued its military campaign. The ICJ has also indicated plans to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
