Israel-Hamas war: ICJ rejects request for Rafah intervention

• UN says Palestinians in Rafah are reportedly moving to central areas around Deir al-Balah

• Top UN Court rejects South Africa's request for urgent measures to safeguard Palestinians in Rafah

Palestinians reportedly moving out of Rafah to central areas, UN official says

Palestinians are reportedly moving out of Gaza's southern city of Rafah toward central areas as intensified Israeli airstrikes continue, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Dujarric told reporters Friday about the reported movement toward Deir al-Balah, roughly 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of Rafah.

He also described the humanitarian condition in Rafah as having become "increasingly severe," adding there were "continued reports of people stopping aid trucks to take food."

The delivery of aid has been repeatedly hindered by frequent border closures, longstanding import restrictions of goods into Gaza, damage to critical infrastructure, and the security situation, he said.

An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half of Gaza's population, have crammed into Rafah, most of them displaced by fighting elsewhere in the territory.

US Vice President Harris reaffirms commitment to free hostages in meeting with Israel's Herzog

US Vice President Kamala Harris met Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the Munich Security Conference.

During their conversation, Harris "reaffirmed our commitment to bringing home the hostages held by Hamas and ensuring Israel is secure," the vice president wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

She also said they discussed American commitment to ensure Israel's security and "efforts to achieve a prolonged pause in fighting, the importance of increasing humanitarian assistance, and the continued planning for post-conflict Gaza."

On Saturday, Herzog and Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani are expected to lay out their visions for establishing peace in the region at the conference.

World Court rejects request for more Gaza measures

The UN's top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has rejected a South African request to issue additional emergency measures ahead of a planned Israeli operation in Rafah.

In January, the ICJ ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa. It also instructed Israel to take action to protect Palestinian civilians from further harm and allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory.

On Tuesday, South Africa filed an additional petition, asking the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to review the legality of Israel's planned military offensive in Rafah.

Israel had asked the ICJ to dismiss South Africa's "urgent request" calling it an "unjustifiable" appeal.

On Friday, the ICJ acknowledged that the operation "'would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences," but they did not require "the indication of additional provisional measures."

The ruling said that Israel was still "bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and with the said order."

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