Having witnessed the sheer destruction and unbearable loss of innocent civilian lives in Rafah, the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) issues the following public statement calling for urgent actions to stop armed violence against Palestinian civilians and to ensure that the ICJ ruling on stopping the Rafah offensive is implemented.

Despite the International Court of Justice’s ruling on 24 May that characterised the humanitarian situation in Gaza as disastrous and warned that the Rafah offensive would bring about the “physical destruction” of the Palestinians – heavy attacks on displacement camps near Rafah continued and resulted in the death of 45 people – primarily women and children.

WSCF considers the more than 60 air raids carried out on Rafah in the 48 hours after the ICJ ordered Israel to halt military operations as part of the state of apartheid and the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

WSCF calls for urgent actions from the international community to stop armed violence against Palestinian civilians and to ensure that the ICJ order on stopping the Rafah offensive is implemented, to prioritise the protection of the human rights of the Palestinian people, and to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered.

Since the beginning of hostilities:

  • More than 800,000 Palestinians have fled from Rafah, living in dire conditions, without access to food, aid, and services.
  • About 1.5 million people had sought shelter in Rafah, fleeing from the fighting elsewhere in Gaza
  • Overall, around 35,800 Palestinians have been killed and almost 80 thousand injured since 7 October 2024

Therefore, to ensure that principles of international and humanitarian law are not undermined, we urge the state of Israel to comply with the ICJ’s order, stop the attack, and reopen the border with Egypt to allow safe passages for humanitarian aid, before the conditions in Rafah become incompatible with human life.

WSCF underlines the importance of ensuring that competent international organisations conduct investigations to unveil potential violations of the UN Genocide Convention.

When the right to life of the Palestinians is secured, the Federation reaffirms its commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution and for a just, sustainable future based on equality, non-discrimination, and respect for international law.

WSCF continues to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, calling for an end to the genocide and justice for the victims, urging Student Christian Movements worldwide to continue praying and advocating for the human rights of the Palestinian People and the end of hostilities as per the mandate of our 2015 and 2022 General Assembly Policy Resolution on Palestine.

Marcelo Leites
MARCELO LEITES
WSCF General Secretary

Geevarghese Coorilos
BISHOP GEERVHASE COORILOS
WSCF Chairperson

Serena Tiburtini
SERENA TIBURTINI
WSCF Youth, Peace and Security – Peacebuilding Program Coordinator

May 29, 2024


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