UN's top court orders Israel to halt militaryoperations in Rafah | BBC News

The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israelmust halt its military offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.

South Africa had asked the ICJ to order it as anemergency measure, saying Israel's actions in Rafah.amount to a "genocidal" operation and threaten thesurvival of the Palestinian people.

The ICJ is the top UN court and can make legallybinding rulings in disputes between countries, but haslittle way of enforcing its orders.

Israel has previously called South Africa's case "whollyunfounded", saying the Rafah offensive is key todefeating Hamas following the 7 October attacks, inwhich about 1,200 people were killed and 252 weretaken to Gaza as hostages.

At least 35,800 Palestinians have been killed in the warsince then, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.