January 26, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East's commissioner general announced Friday that he was "immediately" terminating the contracts of staff members allegedly involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.

Lazzarini said an investigation is being launched into the alleged involvement of the employees and those involved will be held accountable "including through criminal prosecution."

“These shocking allegations come as more than 2 million people in Gaza depend on lifesaving assistance that the Agency has been providing since the war began," he said, "Anyone who betrays the fundamental values of the United Nations also betrays those whom we serve in Gaza, across the region and elsewhere around the world."

CNN has reached out to UNRWA and the Israeli authorities about the information Israel provided UNRWA and the nature of the alleged involvement of the UNRWA employees.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged allies of Israel to secure the country's compliance with the “watershed ruling" by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, which ordered Israel must act immediately to prevent genocide in Gaza amid its military campaign.

“The court’s clear and binding orders raise the stakes for Israel’s allies to back up their stated commitment to a global rules-based order,” Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at HRW said on Friday. 

The advocacy group called on leaders in a statement to “urgently use their leverage to ensure that the order is enforced,” adding the scale of civilian suffering by Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave “demands nothing less.” 

“The World Court’s landmark decision puts Israel and its allies on notice that immediate action is needed to prevent genocide and further atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza,” added Jarrah.

The statement stressed the ICJ’s “speedy ruling” is a recognition of the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Remember: Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 26,083 Palestinians since October 7, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, as allies warn against the mounting death toll.

Israel launched its military campaign to eliminate the militant group, after it killed 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 hostages in an unprecedented attack on southern Israel.

Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki expressed gratitude on Friday for the provisional measures imposed by the International Court of Justice on Israel over its military operation in Gaza.

“The ICJ judges assessed the facts and the law. They ruled in favor of humanity and international law,” al-Maliki said in a video statement.

Al-Maliki stated:

He called on all states to ensure the implementation of the provisional measures, emphasizing it as a binding legal obligation for Israel.

Separately, the Palestinian Assistant Minister for Multilateral Affairs Ammar Hijazi said Friday is a “good day for humanity."

“This ruling is in favor of (an) international system based on law, against exceptionalism and double standards,” Hijazi told reporters outside the ICJ in The Hague, Netherlands.

Hijazi said the decision by the court to enact emergency measures ordering Israel to prevent the death and destruction caused by its military campaign means “that the cries and suffering of our people in Gaza have been heard.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Friday.

One of the protest organizers, Nadia Slimi, told CNN she was “very happy” following the ICJ’s ruling imposing provisional measures on Israel over its military operation in Gaza, but was disappointed the court did not rule in favor of an immediate ceasefire.  

“It's finally a moment (where) Israel is going to be held accountable, and I'm very happy that they're choosing to pursue this case in court,” she added. 

One of those protesting Friday is climate activist Greta Thunberg, who said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that "we cannot remain silent."

South Africa’s Foreign Minister believes that a ceasefire would be necessary for Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, but insisted she was not “disappointed” the court didn’t include it in the order.

“In exercising the [ICJ] order, there would have to be a ceasefire,” Naledi Pandor said after the hearing. “Without it the order doesn’t actually work.”

The South African foreign minister thanked the ICJ judges “for dealing with this matter expeditiously” and warned states who have been supporting Israel that they may find themselves involved in the case as the proceedings develop.

“It's clear that the court does say, circumstances exist, where it is plausible, that genocidal acts have been committed,” Pandor explained. “This, of course, means once the merit case is addressed, and if the finding is that there has been genocide, those states that have aided and abetted become a party to commission.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the ICJ ruling a “victory for international law, for human rights, and above all for justice.” South Africa expects Israel to comply, he continued.

Sara Khreis replays the last day she spent with her mother, Hala, over and over in her mind.

Their family had spent weeks agonizing over whether to flee as Israeli troops moved into Gaza City’s al-Rimal neighborhood, tanks rolling past their front door and a terrifying cacophony of bombs, quadcopter drones and gunfire thundering all around them.

After two nights of bombardment so intense they thought it might blow their home apart, they were resolved: they had to go.

Out in front, a few paces ahead of a group of relatives and neighbors, Hala, 57, was walking with her grandson, Tayem, then 4, holding hands as they navigated a street littered with debris, a white flag in his other hand. Seconds later, a shot rang out and Hala slumped to the ground.

That unthinkable moment was captured on camera. The video surfaced earlier this month in a report by UK-based news website Middle East Eye. Watching it makes Sara and her siblings feel sick.

The clip of Hala’s killing is one of a growing number that show unarmed civilians holding white flags being shot dead in Gaza. The Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has said that they are investigating nine such incidents. CNN has examined four cases, including that of Hala Khreis.

CNN made multiple attempts to sit down with the Israel Defense Forces to share its findings. They have yet to provide a comment.

Read more about Hala's story and instances of people waving white flags from CNN's investigation.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) 17-judge panel issued six emergency measures ordering Israel to “take all measures within its power” to prevent acts which could fall foul of the Genocide Convention.

Here's a summary of the measures Israel must take according to the court's preliminary ruling:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday hailed the preliminary International Court of Justice ruling on South Africa's accusation of genocide as a rejection of discrimination against his country. 

“Like every country, Israel has an inherent right to defend itself,” he said in a short video message.

“The vile attempt to deny Israel this fundamental right is blatant discrimination against the Jewish state, and it was justly rejected.”

The UN’s top court has ordered Israel to act immediately to prevent genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in the war-torn enclave.

The International Court of Justice said Israel must take “all measures” to “ensure with immediate effect that its military does not commit any acts” which could fall foul of the Genocide Convention.

In a preliminary ruling on the accusation of genocide brought by South Africa, the court’s 17-judge panel on Friday issued six such measures, ordering Israel to take steps to limit the death and destruction caused by its military campaign, as well as to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, and to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The court’s decisions are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no way of enforcing them.