RAFAH: Israeli air strikes and artillery pounded Rafah on Saturday, despite the UN's top court ordering an immediate halt to its military offensive in the southern Gazan city.
At the same time, renewed efforts were underway in Paris aimed at securing a ceasefire in the war sparked by Palestinian groups October 7 attack on Israel.
In a case brought by South Africa alleging the Israeli military operation amounts to "genocide", the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive and demanded the immediate release of captives still held by Palestinians.
The Hague-based ICJ, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, also instructed Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which Israel closed earlier this month.
Israel gave no indication it was preparing to change course in Rafah, insisting the court had got it wrong.
"Israel has not and will not carry out military operations in the Rafah area that create living conditions that could cause the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part," National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a joint statement with Israel's foreign ministry spokesman.
Palestinian movement Hamas welcomed the ICJ ruling on Rafah but criticised its decision to exclude the rest of the Palestinian territory from the order.
In spite of the ICJ ruling, Israel carried out strikes throughout the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning as fighting raged between the army and Hamas's armed wing.
Palestinian witnesses and teams reported Israeli strikes or shelling in Rafah, the central city of Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp and elsewhere.
The ICJ ruling came days after Ireland, Spain and Norway said they would formally recognise a Palestinian state and the International Criminal Court prosecutor requested arrest warrants for
The UN court ordered Israel to allow UN-mandated investigators "unimpeded access" to Gaza to look into the genocide allegations.
It also instructed Israel to open the Rafah crossing for the "unhindered provision at scale" of humanitarian aid and also called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of the captives.
On the diplomatic front, efforts have resumed to seek the first ceasefire in Gaza since a week-long truce and captives release in November.
CIA chief Bill Burns was expected to meet Israeli representatives in Paris in a bid to relaunch negotiations, a Western source close to the issue said.
Top US diplomat Antony Blinken also spoke with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz about new efforts to achieve a ceasefire and reopen the Rafah border crossing, Washington said. — AFP
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