“The Rafah attack must stop” submitted to the Security Council
ICJ trial begins on ‘whether occupation of Lee and Pal is legal’
The United States, which has supported Israel since the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas in October last year, submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council on the 19th calling for a ‘temporary ceasefire’ between the two sides. It is interpreted that Israel has sent a clear warning as concerns grow that the number of Palestinian civilian deaths will increase as Israel intensifies its ground battle in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
According to Reuters, the resolution included support for quickly entering into a temporary ceasefire, saying, “The ground battle in Rafah will cause damage to civilians and lead to migration to neighboring countries.” Algeria, an Islamic country that supports Palestine, took the lead last month and submitted a resolution to the Security Council calling for an “immediate ceasefire.” At the time, the United States expressed opposition, predicting that it would exercise its veto.
However, as concerns about civilian killings grew, the United States began mediating between the two sides with a temporary ceasefire plan that was lower than the Algerian resolution. On this day, the Gaza Health Ministry announced, “The number of Palestinian deaths since the outbreak of war has exceeded 29,000, two-thirds of whom were women and children.” If a ground battle takes place in Rafah, where 1.4 million people currently reside, the scale of damage is bound to increase.
This is the first time that the United States has officially supported a ‘ceasefire’. CNN diagnosed this as a “progressive change,” considering that the United States has twice exercised its veto on Security Council resolutions critical of Israel since the outbreak of war. The International Crisis Group, an international conflict research institute, explained, “This is the strongest signal the United States has ever sent to the United Nations. It means that Israel cannot rely indefinitely on diplomatic protection from the United States.” The 26 member states of the European Union (EU) also agreed on a statement calling for a halt to fighting and opposing the Rafah attack.
The United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) began a trial on the 19th to determine whether Israel’s actions, which have occupied the Gaza Strip for 57 years since 1967, were legal. Although it takes about six months for a final ruling to be made and is not legally binding, it is expected to serve as a factor in increasing political pressure on Israel following the international community’s demand for a ceasefire.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.