Fierce fighting continues in the southern Gaza Strip. Baerbock calls for compliance with international humanitarian law. And Israel faces defeat at the highest UN court. The overview.
In the midst of the heavy fighting in the Gaza Strip, the first preliminary decision in the explosive genocide case against Israel was made today at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
This is not yet about the main accusation of genocide, but rather an urgent application for protective measures for the Palestinians. The International Court of Justice does not oblige Israel to end the military operation in the Gaza Strip. However, the United Nations’ highest court ordered Israel to take more protective measures for Palestinians.
Decisions of the Court are binding. Even if he has no power to enforce this, a reprimand from the highest UN court would still be a defeat for Israel. International pressure would probably continue to increase. The judges can also order that Israel report on measures taken to protect Palestinians. That would also have a considerable external impact.
Israel: Right to self-defense taken away
South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the end of December, accusing the country of violating the Genocide Convention. It is the first time that Israel has had to face genocide charges before the UN court. At the hearing in the Peace Palace in The Hague about two weeks ago, Israel’s representative firmly rejected the allegations.
“Israel is at war with (the Islamist organization) Hamas, but not with the Palestinian people,” Israeli Foreign Ministry legal advisor Tal Becker said. Israel also rejected calls for an end to the military operation. The reason given was that this would deprive the country of its right to self-defense.
The reason for the Gaza war was a devastating massacre by Hamas and other extremists on October 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were kidnapped from Israel. Israel blames Hamas for the casualties and suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Fierce fighting in the southern Gaza Strip
Meanwhile, 200 people were killed and 370 others injured in the coastal area in the last 24 hours alone, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said. This brings the number of deaths since the war began on October 7th to 26,083. 75 percent of them were women, children or older men. The number of injured rose to 64,487. The numbers can hardly be verified independently.
The Israeli military and Palestinian health services reported further heavy fighting to the west of the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. At the beginning of the week, the Israeli military launched an offensive in the western part of Khan Yunis, into which it had not yet penetrated. The largest city in the southern Gaza Strip is considered a Hamas stronghold.
Israeli units bombed and shelled the area around Amal Hospital, the aid organization Palestinian Red Crescent said. The clinic is completely surrounded. Rescue workers and those seeking help could no longer reach them. According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli military also made intensive advances in the area around Nasser Hospital. Thousands of people are on the run.
The Israeli military announced during the night that in order to ensure the operation of the Nasser Clinic and the Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, they were in contact with their directors and the medical staff on site. Before the operations against Hamas in the area, it was also ensured that both hospitals were supplied with sufficient fuel and supplies.
Israel’s army says it is continuing its intensive fighting in the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip today. The military said soldiers attacked dozens of Hamas targets there. There were also deaths in various operations. In the north of the Gaza Strip, the military again attacked “Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure”.
Baerbock appeals to Israel
In view of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Israel to comply with international humanitarian law when taking actions in Khan Yunis, for example.
On the sidelines of her East Africa trip, the Green Party politician said on Thursday evening in Nairobi, with a view to the heavy fighting in the city in the south of the Gaza Strip, that she was “extremely concerned” about the desperate situation of the people.
“There are also rules when it comes to the right to self-defense, and international humanitarian law also applies to the fight against terrorists,” said Baerbock. “Israel must comply with this just like all other states in the world – even in a difficult environment in which Hamas breaks all the rules and uses people as protective shields.”
