Ireland considered the recent decision of the International Court of Justice, which demanded the occupation army to stop its attack on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, binding on Israel, while Britain criticized the decision and saw it as support for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Michael Martin, Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, said that Israel rejected the demands of the international community to stop the attack on Rafah, but it could not ignore the binding order of the International Court of Justice.
He added in a statement, “Israel has chosen to ignore these demands, but it cannot ignore the orders of the International Court of Justice. These decisions are legally binding and must be followed.”
Martin called on all parties to intensify their efforts to ensure a ceasefire, the release of prisoners, and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
On the other hand, the British government criticized the international court’s decision and said that the ruling strengthened the Hamas movement.
A British Foreign Office spokesman said late on Friday: “The reason the fighting has not stopped is because Hamas has rejected a very generous hostage agreement from Israel. The intervention of these courts, including the International Court of Justice today, will reinforce Hamas’ view that it can hold and detain hostages.” And stay in Gaza.”
In its new orders on Friday, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel must immediately stop its attacks on Rafah, not prevent humanitarian aid, and allow United Nations officials to enter Gaza to investigate Israel’s crimes.
The role of the Security Council
For its part, the International Center for Justice for the Palestinians said that the ability to enforce the decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding Israel’s attacks on Rafah is effectively in the hands of the UN Security Council, “which has so far failed to activate its powers.”
The London-based center indicated that some precautionary decisions were issued against Israel in January as a result of the request submitted by South Africa to the International Court of Justice, but Israel did not comply with the decisions.
He stated that the orders of the International Court of Justice are legally binding, but the court only has the authority to monitor the implementation of provisional measures.
He pointed out that “the ability to actually enforce such orders rests with the UN Security Council, which has so far failed to activate its powers.”
The Israeli war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, left more than 116,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.