ICJ judge Bhandari votes in favour of Israel forces ending Rafah assault

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 25

The judge from India at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Justice Dalveer Bhandari, voted in favour of new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza and open the governorate’s border crossing for urgent aid deliveries.

Stand on Russia-Ukraine war

Justice Dalveer Bhandari had also joined the majority of judges in a call to Russia to immediately halt its military operations in Ukraine. In the 13-2 judgment in 2022, Justice Bhandari went with the majority, while the Russian and Chinese judges voted against the order.

30 killed as Tel Aviv steps up strikes

• Israeli forces killed more than 30 people in new attacks in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics said on Saturday, the day after judges at the top United Nations court ordered Israel to halt its offensive on the southern Gazan city of Rafah
• Though Israel pressed on with its offensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, mediated negotiations between the two sides are due to restart next week, an official with knowledge of the matter said

The court issued the decision by 13 votes in favour and two against.

Besides Justice Bhandari, Judge Sarah Cleveland, an American, also voted to end Israel’s military operation in Rafah.

The only two judges who voted against the ruling were Judge Julia Sebutinde from Uganda and Judge Aharon Barak (former Israeli High Court president).

The ICJ’s new provisional measures came in response to South Africa’s request made on May 10 that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza. Israel’s military response has, to date, killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction and a looming famine in the besieged and bombarded Gaza, according to the United Nations.

On Friday, International Court of Justice Chief Justice Nawaf Salam had recalled that in the two previous orders for provisional measures the court expressed its grave concern over the fate of the hostages abducted during the attack in Israel on October 7, 2023.

He called for their immediate and unconditional release stating that “the court finds it deeply troubling that many of these hostages remain in captivity and reiterates its call for their immediate and unconditional release”.

The International Court of Justice cannot enforce its order but the ruling symbolises Israel’s isolation over its assault on Gaza.

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