Hamas welcomes UN court decision on Rafah

DPA
·1 min read
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Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes on Al-Jeneina and Al-Salam neighbourhoods. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes on Al-Jeneina and Al-Salam neighbourhoods. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement has welcomed the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) call for Israel to immediately end its military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a statement published on Friday, Hamas called on the international community and the United Nations to exert pressure on Israel.

A member of the Hamas politburo emphasized that without international pressure, the court's decision would have no effect.

The ICJ called on Israel to put an immediate end to the controversial military operation in Rafah. The decision by the highest court of the United Nations in The Hague was based on an urgent application by South Africa.

According to the judges, the humanitarian situation in Rafah is "disastrous."

Hamas also stated that the organization had expected the court to order an end to the Israeli military operation in the entire Gaza Strip.

The Gaza war was triggered by the terrorist attack by Hamas and allied groups on October 7 last year. More than 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 people taken hostage to the Gaza Strip.