Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he expects compliance with the International Court of Justice’s recent demand that military operations in Rafah stop immediately.
“Canada’s position has been clear for many, many weeks now. We need an immediate ceasefire. Hamas needs to lay down its arms, release all hostages, but there also must be no more military operations in Rafah by Israel,” Mr. Trudeau said on May 24 during a news conference in Halifax.
“The ICJ’s proposals are binding, and we expect everyone to follow them as a matter of international law.”
Mr. Trudeau also restated Canada’s position that a two-state solution is needed and said the Israeli government was hindering that option.
“Unfortunately, the Netanyahu government is creating barriers and blockages to ever being able to create or even imagine that two-state solution. That is where we fundamentally disagree with the Netanyahu government,” Mr. Trudeau said.
The court also ordered Israel to allow war crimes investigators into Gaza to investigate claims of genocide and to allow more humanitarian aid into the region.
Reacting to the news, the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that South Africa’s accusations of “genocide” against Israel at the ICJ are “false, outrageous and disgusting.”
“Israel has not and will not carry out a military campaign in the Rafah area that creates living conditions that could lead to the destruction of the Palestinian civilian population, in whole or in part,” the statement said.
The comments follow the overnight discovery on May 24 of the bodies of three Israeli hostages who were among those taken by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, during a surprise attack on civilians that left 1,200 dead. Israel’s current military action in the region is a response to that attack.
The ICJ’s order comes on the heels of International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan’s call on May 20 for arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders, on charges of crimes against humanity in the Gaza war. While the ICJ rules in disputes among nations, the ICC oversees war crime allegations.
Prime Minister Trudeau has also said any equivalency between Israel and Hamas in the ICC prosecutor’s demand is troubling, while adding that Canada respects the court’s independence.
“What I will say is troubling, though, is the sense of an equivalency between the democratically elected leaders of Israel and the bloodthirsty terrorists that lead up Hamas. I don’t think that’s helpful.”
“France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations,” the French foreign ministry said.
“International law must apply to everyone. We have been requesting support for their investigation for months, necessary to stop the genocide of the Palestinian people,” she said.
Spain, Norway, and Ireland announced on May 22 that they would recognize Palestine as an independent state.
Israel said such a move rewards Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack.
“80 percent of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) support the terrible massacre of October 7. This evil must not be given a state. This will be a terrorist state,” Mr. Netanyahu said.
