In Case You Missed It: Gaza May 24, 2024

By Staff on May 24, 2024 • ( 1 Comment )

• Israel ordered to immediately halt the military assault on Rafah, Gaza by the UN International Court of Justice in a genocide case brought by South Africa. The court also ruled that border crossings should be reopened to allow humanitarian aid and that Israel should allow investigators access. The order passed in a 13-2 vote opposed by Israel and Uganda. Medics and residents reported a series of strikes in central Rafah shortly after the ruling.

Half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population fled to tent cities in Rafah after Israel ordered them to evacuate their homes in north and central Gaza before bombing 80% of homes along with schools, hospitals, and businesses. Following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis and captured 250 hostages, over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed, 77,000 injured, electricity, fuel, water, sanitation, medical and food aid cut off. The UN has declared the people of Gaza are at serious risk of famine.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor requested arrest warrants on May 20 on charges of war crimes by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh. Pre-trail judges will determine if the evidence supports the warrants. (There are 124 member countries of the ICC; the U.S., Israel, China, and Russia are not members.)