CAIRO, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League and Egypt welcomed on Friday the order handed down by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which asks Israel to immediately halt its military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.
In a statement, Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said the court's decision reflects the conviction of the judges that Israel has not taken any measures to respond to requests and conditions set by the court in March.
It also reflects the severe dangers felt by the court regarding the continued attack by the Israeli army on Rafah and the forced displacement and widespread violations that the attack is causing, he added.
Aboul-Gheit stressed that the continued Israeli attack on Rafah is "a crime that must stop immediately."
Meanwhile, Egypt called on Israel to comply with its legal obligations within the framework of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and international humanitarian law (IHL).
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry urged Israel to implement all interim measures issued by the ICJ, which are considered legally binding and enforceable.
It also considered that the court's decision is consistent with the current situation in the Gaza Strip, calling on the UN Security Council and influential international parties to fulfill their legal and humanitarian responsibilities by adopting decisive measures to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip and to reach a comprehensive ceasefire.
Earlier in the day, the ICJ ordered Israel to stop its military offensive in Rafah with immediate effect.
The court demanded that Israel allow fact finders and investigators of UN bodies to investigate allegations of genocide and preserve possible evidence.
The judges added that Israel must submit a report to the court on all measures to implement the court's order within one month.
The ICJ's order came as South Africa requested the court on May 10 to deliver a ruling on the modification and the indication of provisional measures against Israel concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's National Security Council and Foreign Ministry on Friday issued a joint statement regarding the ruling, saying Israel "has not and will not" carry out operations that risk the destruction of the civilian population in Rafah. ■
