The decisions of the ICJ are “obligatory” and must be applied, insists the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell
The decisions on Gaza taken by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest court of the UN, must be applied, insisted Monday in Brussels the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, before a meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) and several Arab countries.
“Everyone agrees that the decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding and must be implemented”affirmed Mr. Borrell, after the order given by this court to Israel to cease ” immediately “ its offensive in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. But, he admitted, “there really is a dilemma about how the international community can compel implementation” of these decisions.
EU ministers will discuss it on Monday morning before meeting their Egyptian, Jordanian, Qatari, Emirati counterparts and the secretary general of the Arab League, Mr. Borrell added to the press. “Let’s see what we think and how the member states” from the EU “want to react or not” to this decision, he added.
The ICJ, whose decisions are legally binding but lacks mechanisms for their implementation, also ordered Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which it closed after launching its operation land in the city in early May. The Israeli army continued its bombings this weekend on Rafah despite the order of the International Court of Justice.