End Rafah invasion: World welcomes ICJ ruling, Israel still defiant

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in the Hague, ordered Israel on Friday to “immediately” halt its military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

President of the United Nations’ top court Nawaf Salam described the humanitarian situation in Rafah as “disastrous.”

He said that the UN officials have indicated that the situation was set to “intensify even further” if Israel’s invasion of Rafah continues.

US senator says ICJ can go to hell

Shortly after the ruling US Senator Lindsay Graham took to X after the ruling, saying that the World Court “can go to hell.”

He described the ruling as “ridiculous” and called on Israel to “ignore it.

“It is long past time to stand up to these so-called international justice organizations associated with the UN.”

US stands alone in full support for Gaza genocide: CAIR

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) “applauds” the rulings, saying that Washington “stands alone in continuing to offer full support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”

The US-based civil rights group said the regime “must be stopped from completing this monstrous goal.”

CAIR said that “President Biden must honor this important ruling by immediately ending all military assistance to Israel’s genocide.”

Israel unlikely to heed 

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the ceasefire order but said he remains concerned the United Nations Security Council has not succeeded in reducing human suffering in Gaza.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor also warned that Israel is unlikely to heed the order.

"Israel has had impunity for so long that they don't care what the global community says.

"So I think the responsibility goes to us a member states of the United Nations and most particularly to the Security Council," she said.

No power on Earth can stop Israel: Tel Aviv

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office was quick to react to the ruling, saying, "No power on Earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza."

It said, "South Africa's accusations against Israel regarding 'genocide' are false, outrageous and disgusting."

The regime's war cabinet minister Benny Gantz also claimed that Israel “set out on a just and necessary campaign” in the Gaza Strip.

EU yet to decide position on ICJ ruling  

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, however, said the EU would have to state its position on the ICJ’s ruling.

He said Brussels "will have to choose between our support to international institutions of the rule of law or our support to Israel.”

Norway welcomed the ruling, calling on Tel Aviv to “carry out the measures that have been ordered.”

Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib also called for immediate implementation of the court decision.

She wrote on X, “The violence and human suffering in Gaza must stop.”

Many other figures also welcomed the court order.

Egypt called on Tel Aviv “to stop its systematic policies against the Palestinian people of targeting, starvation and siege in violation of all provisions of international law and international humanitarian law.”

Palestinian Authority said in a statement that President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the decision which "represents an international consensus on the demand to stop the all-out war on Gaza."

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas also hailed the decision “that calls on the Zionist occupation forces to end its military aggression on Rafah."

Basem Naim, the head of Hamas' Department of Politics and Foreign Relations said that the group also welcomes the court’s request to allow investigators into Gaza to probe “acts of genocide against the Palestinian people."

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