Top UN court orders Israel to stop Gaza offensive
Judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague said on Friday that the situation in Gaza had deteriorated since they last ordered Israel to take urgent steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there.
Reading out a ruling ordering Israel to halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Nawaf Salam, president of the top United Nations court, said provisional measures ordered by the body in March did not fully address the current situation in the enclave.
The ruling was made after an urgent plea by South Africa to order Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza over accusations of genocide, a claim dismissed by Israel.
Friday's ruling put further pressure on Israel, with more European nations recognizing the State of Palestine, potentially reshaping the dynamics of the Middle East, experts said.
It came just days after the prosecutor at another court in the Dutch city, the International Criminal Court, announced that he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and three Hamas leaders.
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Shu Meng, an assistant professor at Shanghai International Studies University's Middle East Studies Institute, said, In the long run, international pressure will have a profound impact on Israel's long-term strategic planning.
In addition, recent decisions by Norway, Ireland and Spain to recognize the State of Palestine show that more countries now stand on the side of justice over the issue, leaving Israel and the US increasingly isolated, experts said.
So far, some 140 countries have recognized the Palestinian state. In stark contrast, most Western nations are not among them.
The US government on Wednesday said that Palestinian statehood should not be realized through unilateral recognition.
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来源：China Daily
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