Türkiye expects 'swift’ implementation of top court ruling on Rafah

ANKARA

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has welcomed the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) order to Israel to immediately halt the Rafah operation in southern Gaza on Friday and expects the decisions to be implemented swiftly.

"We welcome the interim injunction issued by the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to cease its attacks on Rafah in Gaza and immediately open the Rafah border crossing to humanitarian aid," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, while urging the U.N. Security Council to do its part to ensure Israel's prompt compliance with the ruling.

The top U.N. court ordered Israel to halt military operations in Rafah on May 24, a landmark ruling likely to increase international pressure for a ceasefire more than seven months into the war.

The Hague-based court, whose orders are legally binding but lack direct enforcement mechanisms, also ordered Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which it closed earlier this month at the start of its assault on the city.

Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on Friday that the ICJ order is “important yet insufficient.”

"The decision of the ICJ to stop the attacks of the occupying Israel, which has been committing genocide in Gaza and Rafah since Oct. 7, and to pave the way for humanitarian aid, is important but insufficient to end the blood and tears flowing in Palestine," Tunç said on X, further emphasizing that Israel must comply with the order.

"Israel must stop acting like a terrorist organization and fulfill the requirements of international law," Tunç stated.

"Countries and international organizations that believe in democracy and human rights should also take action to ensure that Israel complies with the decisions," the minister added.

Tunç further stated that Türkiye will continue to stand by the innocent Palestinians in their just cause and defend rights and justice in the world.

South Africa brought the case before the ICJ last year, alleging that Israel's Gaza offensive breached the 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention.

The court had stopped short of ordering a ceasefire in Gaza in an interim ruling in January but instructed Israel to do everything possible to prevent genocidal acts.

The ICJ ruling comes hot on the heels of another highly charged decision Monday by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders.

Prosecutor Karim Khan alleges that senior Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top Hamas officials, were guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza and the Oct. 7 attack.