Pakistan welcomes ICJ’s ruling on Gaza

Pakistan welcomed on Saturday the additional provisional measures by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanding an immediate halt to Israel's military operations in Rafah.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement that Pakistan's support for South Africa's application against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention has led to the ICJ announcing additional provisional measures.

Earlier in February, Pakistan joined over 50 countries in advancing its argument in the historic proceedings being conducted by ICJ in The Hague to rule on the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel.

Last week, South Africa's lawyers asked the ICJ to impose emergency measures and said Israel's attacks on the southern Gaza city "must be stopped" to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people.

ICJ ordered Israel to keep Rafah open for humanitarian aid. The ruling requires unrestricted access for UN investigative bodies to investigate genocide allegations in Gaza.

The spokesperson stated that Pakistan demands the immediate and unconditional implementation of the latest ICJ orders as well as all previous orders.

Highlighting that Pakistan wants the UN Security Council to hold Israel accountable, Mumtaz reaffirmed Pakistan's support for Palestinian self-determination and a sovereign State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.