Trudeau says Israel needs to follow ICJ ruling and halt operations in Rafah

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says military operations in Rafah must stop now that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to halt its offensive in the southern Gaza city.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Friday, the prime minister repeated Canada's call for a ceasefire and for Hamas to release the hostages it took on Oct. 7.

"There also must be no more military operations in Rafah by Israel, and certainly no escalation of military operations in Rafah," Trudeau said in response to a question about Friday's court ruling.

"The ICJ's proposals are binding and we expect everyone to follow them as a matter of international law."

The ICJ decision sent a three-part message to Israel by ordering the country to halt the Rafah offensive, to allow war crimes investigators access to Gaza and to immediately increase humanitarian aid into the region.

While Israel is unlikely to comply with the order, which resulted from an appeal by South Africa, the order could ratchet up pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

ICJ president Nawaf Salam, describing the humanitarian situation in Rafah as "exceptionally grave," read the ruling as a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the court in The Hague.

Although the court has broad powers to order an end to the Israeli military campaign, it does not have a police force to enforce its orders. Russia, for example, has ignored a ruling from the same court to halt its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking on CBC Radio's The House, International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said he hopes the ICJ decision pushes Israel to reconsider its plans for Rafah.

"I hope it goes a long way in terms of having Israel reconsider its ongoing military operation in Rafah, which is, I believe, misguided and quite frankly does a lot of harm to civilians," Hussen told host Catherine Cullen in an interview airing Saturday.

Attacks on Oct. 7 in southern Israel led by Hamas — considered a terrorist group by several Western nations, including Canada — killed around 1,200 people. Several of the dead were Canadian citizens.

Israel's offensive since the war began has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, and has caused a humanitarian crisis and near-famine conditions.

For months, Israel has been saying Rafah is Hamas's last major stronghold and has been vowing to invade — even as several allies have warned an all-out assault would spell disaster.

Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, indicated his country's military won't change its course in Rafah despite the ICJ order.