Elina Valtonen, the Foreign Minister of Finland, has urged Israel to uphold the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and abide by international humanitarian law.
Speaking on “X” platform, Valtonen emphasized Finland’s consistent calls for Israel to refrain from launching attacks on Rafah, an area with a significant number of displaced Palestinians.
She expressed her deep concern over the loss of numerous lives, including innocent children, in Israeli attacks and urged all parties involved to honor the decisions made by the ICJ and adhere to international humanitarian law.
Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes today in the al-Mawasi area near Rafah, in the Gaza Strip’s southmost part, which had been designated as a “humanitarian zone” by the occupying forces.
The airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals, with many others, including children and women, sustaining injuries.
Over the past 48 hours, the occupying forces have targeted the tents housing displaced individuals in the Israeli designated “safe zone,” resulting in the tragic loss of 72 lives.
These airstrikes on Tuesday follow the widely condemned Israeli attack on the displaced people’s camps in Rafah on Sunday. The attack claimed the lives of at least 45 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and left approximately 250 others wounded.
The airstrikes occurred just four days after the International Court of Justice issued a legally binding ruling ordering Israel to cease its military offensive in Rafah. These Israeli attacks violate its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
Israel has faced accusations of genocide against Palestinians and continues the bombing of all parts of the densely populated Gaza Strip since October 7.
The toll of this war has been devastating, with a reported 36,096 Palestinians killed and over 81,136 others injured.
There are also approximately 7,000 individuals who remain unaccounted for, presumed to have lost their lives under the debris of their homes across the Gaza Strip.
Both Palestinian and international organizations have highlighted that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
This Israeli aggression has forcibly displaced nearly two million people from various parts of the Gaza Strip.
The majority of these displaced individuals have been compelled to seek refuge in the densely populated city of Rafah, located near the border with Egypt.
This forced displacement due to the ongoing onslaught on Gaza represents the largest displacement of Palestinians since the Nakba in 1948.
