Churches for Middle East Peace Demand UN Security Council Enforce ICJ Halt on Israel’s Actions in Rafah

 Washington, D.C. - May 28, 2024 Joint Statement: NGOs demand UN Security Council enforce ICJ orders on Israel’s actions in Rafah First published by Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on 27 May 2024. The undersigned NGOs urgently call on all permanent and elected members of the UN Security Council to enforce the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) orders regarding Israel's actions in Rafah, Gaza. Immediate action is required to uphold international law and ensure the Government of Israel meets its obligations as mandated by the ICJ.

The ICJ has determined that Israel's military operations in Rafah have created a catastrophic humanitarian situation, in line with the repeated predictions and warnings of the humanitarian community in the build up to the offensive. The Court has ordered an immediate halt to military operations in Rafah, the opening of the Rafah border crossing for unhindered humanitarian relief, and access for UN fact finding bodies to investigate potential violations of the Genocide Convention. Since the hostilities began, Gaza has faced unprecedented destruction and suffering: Over 35,800 Palestinians have been killed and 80,200 injured since 7 October 2023, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. More than 800,000 people have been displaced from Rafah since 6 May 2024, with thousands living among rubble without essential services.
Food distributions in Rafah have been suspended due to severe supply shortages and insecurity, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Despite the ICJ’s order for Israel to halt military operations, the bloodshed has continued, with recent attacks on a displacement camp near UN aid facilities in Rafah reportedly killing dozens of people, including children, and injuring many more.
Failure to comply with these orders may prompt South Africa to address the issue to the Security Council, which has the authority under the UN Charter to enforce the ICJ's binding decision. We call on the UN Security Council to take decisive action to ensure the ICJ's orders are implemented, allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need and enabling thorough investigations into violations of international law. The Security Council must act now to uphold justice, protect human rights, and maintain international peace and security. Failure to do so would further compromise the conditions to sustain human life in Gaza and would undermine global trust in the primacy of international law.

 ### Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the IsraeliPalestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Signed,

ActionAid

Action Corps

American Friends Service Committee

Anera

Avaaz

CARE International

Churches for Middle East Peace

DanChurchAid

Danish Refugee Council

Democratic Socialists of America

Humanity & Inclusion - Handicap International (HI)

Médecins du Monde France, Spain and Switzerland

Medical Aid for Palestinians

Mennonite Central Committee

Middle East Children’s Alliance

Norwegian Church Aid

Norwegian People’s Aid

Norwegian Refugee Council

Oxfam

Plan International

Première Urgence International  

War Child Alliance

https://cmep.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Joint-Statement_-NGOs-demand-UN-Security-Council-enforce-ICJ-orders-on-Israels-actions-in-Rafah.pdf