After the International Criminal Court ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, the IDF responded by dropping bombs on tent cities housing displaced civilians in what was previously deemed a “safe zone” from the genocide currently happening in Gaza.
As it stands, 40 people have been killed which include mostly women and children according to health officials. The bombing also comes 24 hours after Israel attacked shelters in Jabalia, Nuseirat, and Gaza City in the past 24 hours, killing at least 160 others Palestinian officials further confirmed.
Civilians thought they would be safe near a UNRWA building
Civilians looking to escape the bloodshed inside the Gaza Strip fled to the tent city near the UNRWA building in Rafah because they thought they would be safe near a facility that flies a UN flag. However, Israel continued to show zero restraint when it came to UNRWA, unsurprisingly at this point considering their past actions of baseless allegations that employees of the organization participated in the October 7 attacks.
In fact, since October 7, 193 UN humanitarian workers have lost their lives due to the indiscriminate Israeli bombing with the majority being UNRWA Palestinian employees in Gaza.
Israel ignoring the ICJ
According to Triestino Mariniello, a lawyer with the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the latest attacks on Rafah illustrate Israel deliberately ignoring the ICJ and their orders to halt its offensive in Rafah.
“These horrible images that arrive from Rafah show that the Israeli authorities are completely disregarding the binding, provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice, which just two days ago ordered Israel to stop any military action in Rafah,” he said.