Israel refuses to stop the offensive in Rafah in Gaza, even though the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered it to do so. Denmark believes that Israel should halt the offensive in Rafah in Gaza, a decision that the ICJ has mandated. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated in a written comment to Ritzau that, “I view the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice with deep seriousness.” He emphasized that international law must be respected by all countries, and in line with this, Denmark expects Israel to comply with the ruling instead of engaging in discussions with the court.
Israel has been given one month to explain what actions it has taken to comply with the ICJ ruling, which was issued on Friday. However, Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, stated on the same day that they will not accept the conclusions reached by the top UN court. Løkke will address the issue at the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday. He expressed concern about the humanitarian consequences of the Israeli offensive, stating, “I am deeply concerned about the consequences of the military operations currently taking place, which have already displaced over 800,000 people from the area.”
On Friday, the ICJ ordered Israel to immediately cease its military operation in Rafah. The ruling stated, “The State of Israel must immediately stop its military offensive and any other action in the administrative area of Rafah.” The court warned that a continued offensive could result in the “physical destruction, wholly or partially” of the Palestinian community in Rafah. The ICJ is the highest court of the United Nations, but it does not have the power to enforce its decisions.