Rafah, Gaza Strip –
The U.N. top court on Friday ordered Israel to halt military operations in Rafah, a landmark ruling likely to increase international pressure for a ceasefire more than seven months into the war sparked by the Hamas attack on October 7.
The International Court of Justice also demanded the immediate release of all hostages still held by Palestinian militants, hours after the Israeli army announced that troops had recovered the bodies of three more prisoners from northern Gaza.
The Hague-based court, whose orders are legally binding but have no direct enforcement mechanisms, also ordered Israel to keep open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which it closed earlier this month at the start of the attack on the city.
