Continued operations: Israel rejects ICJ's call for Gaza ceasefire, ensures border security with Lebanon

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Just minutes after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague issued a ruling mandating Israel to an immediately ceasefire in Rafah, the Israeli military launched an unprecedented offensive across Rafah and other parts of Gaza.
 
Israeli ministers and political and security leaders responded to the ICJ decision, labeling it as an escalation of anti-semitism and incitement to continue the fighting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a consultation session with security officials to discuss the implications and response to the ruling.

Israel anticipated a ruling from the ICJ in The Hague, the United Nations' highest judicial authority, regarding South Africa's request to order Israel to a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Backed by strong support from Washington, Israel has assured both the international community and their citizens that its stance on combating Hamas will remain unchanged.

Messages sent to the international community, along with reassurances to the Israeli public, emphasized that Israel will not revert to its pre-October 7th state once the military operations on both the southern front with Gaza and the northern front with Lebanon conclude.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and military spokesperson Daniel Hagari followed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterated that the fighting will continue and even expand, regardless of the International Court's decision. 

This stance was reinforced by Gallant's announcement of increased ground and air forces, particularly in Rafah, alongside ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages.

On the Lebanese front, following the War Cabinet's rejection of a budget to rehabilitate northern towns and the absence of guarantees for residents' return by September, Netanyahu visited the Northern Command. 

There, he announced Israel's plans to ensure border security with Lebanon and Syria and the return of residents, although he withheld specific details from Israel's adversaries.

Despite the leaders' promises to secure the nation and retrieve hostages, Israeli public unrest has escalated with each return of hostages' bodies or new information about their fate. 

Meanwhile, efforts to advance negotiations continue.

In this context, US intelligence director William Burns and Mossad chief David Barnea are expected to meet in France on Friday or Saturday, according to a Western source cited by AFP. 

Concurrently, Egyptian-Israeli contacts are ongoing to schedule new negotiation sessions, including discussions about the Rafah crossing crisis with US participation. One proposed solution is to transfer the management of the Rafah crossing to the European Union.