BREAKING: UN’s top court orders Israel to halt its operation in Rafah (2024)

The United Nations' top court has ordered Israel to halt its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The court, which sits in The Hague, the Netherlands, made the ruling on Friday as part of the ongoing genocide case brought by South Africa.

In its ruling, the court said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had deteriorated "even further" since the court last ordered provisional measures in March.

The court noted that around 800,000 Palestinians had been displaced from Rafah as of May 18, after Israel began its military offensive on May 7.

Israel had warned civilians in parts of the city to evacuate ahead of its operation, but the court said these efforts were not "sufficient to alleviate the immense risk to which the Palestinian population is exposed as a result" of Israel's incursion.

The United Nations’ highest court is set to deliver its ruling in a case against Israel brought by South Africa, which could see it order Israel to halt its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

South Africa filed an urgent request on May 10 for additional measures in its genocide case against Israel, accusing it of using forced evacuation orders in Rafah to “endanger rather than protect civilian life.”

The panel of judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands, has been seated and proceedings have now begun.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claims that it isn't time to recognize a Palestinian state, as there is “no clarity on the territory of the state" as well as "other issues."

“What we need is a negotiated solution between Israel and the Palestinians that amounts to a two-state solution," the German chancellor said Friday during a joint news conference with Portugal's prime minister in Berlin. Scholzadded that a solution must include “a Palestinian Authority that is responsible for the West Bank and Gaza."

Some background: The comments follow Ireland, Spain and Norway announcingplansto formally recognize a Palestinian state next week, in a move that is likely to bolster the global Palestinian cause, but further strain relations between Europe and Israel.

The three European nations say their landmark decision is the best way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, but it sparked swift condemnation from Israel, as its foreign minister ordered the immediate recall of its ambassadors from those countries.

An Israeli delegation will travel to Paris soon, an Israeli official has told CNN. The trip comes as CNN reported Thursday that CIA Director Bill Burns is traveling back to Europe to try to get the ceasefire and hostage deal back on track, according to a US official.

The Israeli official did not confirm the exact timeline or provide further information on the reason for the Israeli delegation’s trip and who they would meet.

The US official told CNNthat the director of the CIA is “in frequent discussions with the Egyptians, Qataris and Israelis. Both Egypt and Qatar are very engaged, as are the Israelis.”

A Qatari official also told CNN that Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will participate in the talks. The prime minister is currently in Paris.

Neither official would confirm theother participants.

In previous talks, they have been joined in Paris by Israel’s Mossad Director David Barnea and the head of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel.

CNN's Alex Marquardt contributed reporting to this post.

Israeli forces say they found the bodies of three hostages taken by Hamas, in Jabalya, following "intense combat" in the northern Gaza neighborhood overnight.

Elsewhere, the UN warned of "another war" faced by Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ramp up attacks on the occupied territory.

Here are the latest developments:

Friday's announcement that the bodies of three hostages were recovered by Israeli forces means 121 hostages from the Hamas-led October 7 attacks into southern Israel are being held in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) believes that at least 37 hostages from the October 7 attack are dead, with their bodies being held in the Gaza Strip.

More hostages: In addition, four people have been held since before October 7. The total number of people kidnapped from Israel and being held in the Gaza Strip is 125, according to a count based on numbers from the PMO.

Of the four hostages being held in Gaza prior to October 7, two are Israeli soldiers and are dead. The other two are believed to be alive.

More than 200 EU civil servants and other staff members havewrittento the bloc’s top three officials to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a halt to member states’ arms exports to Israel.

The letter titled “Not In Our Name," says that the EU’s “continued apathy” to the plight of Palestinians risks "normalising the rise of a world order where it is the sheer use of force, as opposed to a rule-based system, that determines state security, territorial integrity, and political independence."

They add: “It was precisely to avert such a grim world order that our grandparents, witnesses of the horrors of World War II, created Europe. To stand idly by in the face of such an erosion of the international rule of law would mean failing the European project as envisaged by them.”

Signatories say they have signed the letter, which was delivered to the presidents of the European Commission, parliament, and the European Council on Thursday, in a “personal capacity as EU citizens” to express their “growing concern over the EU’s inaction in the context of the ongoing crisis in Gaza."

The calls come in the same week that three European countries – Ireland, Spain and Norway -announced plansto formally recognize a Palestinian state.

Although Norway is not an EU member, the plans do have the potential toexert greater pressureon the countries’ western allies to take a tougher stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. But the move is not a coordinated European effort and the bloc has long struggled to speak with one voice.

Palestinians in the West Bank are gripped by a cycle of "fear, uncertainty and anxiety," a UN agency has warned, as violence from Israel's military campaign in Gaza spills into the occupied territory.

"As one war rages in Gaza, in the West Bank another goes unnoticed," the UN's agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) posted on X on Friday.

Residents in the occupied West Bank are sliding "into poverty," according to the agency. "Separation, isolation and movement restrictions are spiraling this cycle."

Increased violence: Earlier this week, the Israeli military launched a two-day assault on Jenin, in the West Bank, killing 12 Palestinians, including four children, local officials said. Two of those killed were a surgeon and a teacher. Israeli forces left swathes of destruction after withdrawing, according to the city's mayor.

Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 518 Palestinians, including 129 children, in the occupied West Bank since October 7, according to the Ministry of Health in Ramallah.

Two of the hostages whose bodies were found in Jabalya, in northern Gaza, had gone to the Nova festival before it was attacked by Hamas. One was killed as he was picking up his granddaughter.

All three of those kidnapped were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks into southern Israel, and their bodies were taken to Gaza by the militant group, according to the Israeli military.

Orion Hernandez Radoux, 30, a French-Mexican tourist, went to the music event with his partnerShaniLouk, according to a group of families of hostages. Louk's body was recovered from the Gaza Strip last week. She was a 23-year-old German-Israeli woman.

Hanan Yablonka, 42, a father-of-two from Tel Aviv, was at the festival with friends, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said.

Michel Nisenbaum, 59, a Brazilian-Israeli citizen from the city of Sderot, in southern Israel, was killed while traveling to pick up his four-year-old granddaughter, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Friday.