The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, held this Friday (24) a telephone consultation with several ministers of his government to discuss Israel’s response to the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered the suspension of military operation in Rafah.
“The conversation involved the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Strategic Affairs, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Defense and the Ombudsman,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara also participated in the conversation.
This Friday, the ICJ demanded that Israel immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah to avoid “the total or partial physical destruction” of Palestinians in Gaza, and ordered the country to guarantee access for international missions to investigate South Africa’s allegations and other countries of an alleged genocide in the enclave.
So far, there has been no official reaction from the Prime Minister’s office to the ICJ’s decision, but there was an official reaction from the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who said that Israel’s only response to the decision must be “the achievement of Rafah, the increase in military pressure and the total crushing of Hamas, until we achieve total victory in the war.”
“The State of Israel has undertaken a just and necessary campaign following the brutal massacre of its citizens, the abhorrent sexual violence carried out against its women, the kidnapping of its children and the firing of rockets into its cities,” said the War Cabinet Minister , Benny Gantz.
Gantz, one of the opposition leaders who joined the emergency government after the start of the war, emphasized Israel’s commitment to “continue to operate wherever and whenever necessary – including in Rafah – in accordance with international law and safeguarding the population civilian as much as possible.”
“Not because of the ICJ, but because of who we are and the values we defend,” he said.
The leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, calls the ICJ’s decision “unfair” because it does not take into account that the fighting in Rafah aims to guarantee the return of those kidnapped, suspected of being held there.
However, he blames the Israeli government for the fact that this situation has reached international justice. (With EFE Agency)
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