From [HERE] The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nation's top court, has ordered Israel to "immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah," as it is not convinced that the Israeli military is doing enough to protect civilians.

The court acted in support of last week's application of South Africa, which brought genocide charges against Israel at the ICJ in December. The appeal sought several measures against Israel, accusing it of stepping up what it says is a genocide. "Those who have survived so far are facing imminent death now and an order from the court is needed to ensure their survival," Pretoria's filing read. (Related: South Africa calls for immediate halt to Israel’s military offensive in Rafah.)

ICJ head Nawaf Salam read the new ruling and said that its justices were doubtful that the evacuation efforts and the related measures that Israel affirms to have undertaken are not sufficient to "alleviate the immense risk" to civilians in Rafah. Salam said the humanitarian situation has deteriorated further since the court's last order in March and is now classified as "disastrous." The Palestinian city of Rafah hosted around 1.4 million refugees displaced from the enclave when Israel ordered around half that number to evacuate the city as it sent tanks and troops into its eastern neighborhoods.

"Israel must immediately hold its military offensive of [sic] any other action in the Rafah governorate," Salam continued, warning that failure to do so could bring about the wholesale destruction of life in the city.