The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, January 26, ordered Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide during its war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
This came during a session of the ICJ in the Dutch city of The Hague, to decide on South Africa’s request to take precautionary measures in the “genocide” lawsuit filed against Israel.
Judge Joan E Donoghue, the President of the Court, commences proceedings by reading out the highly anticipated decision made by a panel of 17 judges.
In her speech during the session, Donoghue said, “ICJ is ‘acutely aware’ of extent of human tragedy that is unfolding in Gaza and is ‘deeply concerned’ about continuing loss of life, human suffering,” Quds News Network reported.
She noted that Israel’s extensive military operation in Gaza has resulted in significant civilian casualties, infrastructure destruction, and displacement of the majority of the population.
The judge stated that the court believed that at least some of the activities taken by Israel in Gaza, as reported by South Africa, were in compliance with the UN Genocide Convention.
She added, “The Palestinian people are an ethnic group protected under international law, and the residents of Gaza constitute a large part of this group.”
Donoghue further said that the court could not accept Israel’s request to dismiss the lawsuit filed by South Africa.
“Israel must take measures within its authority to prevent and punish public incitement to commit genocide against Palestinians,” she said.
She continued, “Israel must take immediate and effective measures to enable it to provide basic services and much-needed humanitarian assistance in Gaza.”
The court said Israel must submit a report to the court within one month of this order being given.
The court mandates Israel to implement additional measures to safeguard Palestinians, but does not mandate the cessation of military operations in the Strip.
In response, South Africa hailed the provisional measures ordered by ICJ against Israel, calling it a ‘historic landmark ruling.’
“Today marks a decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people,” South Africa’s department of international relations and cooperation said in a statement, Reuters reported.
On December 29, 2023, South Africa filed a complaint with the ICJ, saying that Israel was violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide signed in 1948 following the Holocaust during World War II.
On Thursday, January 11, the International Court of Justice began the first hearings in the case brought by South Africa against Israel. The first session lasted two days, while the second session was held today, Friday.
Israel launched continuous air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas surprise attack on October 7 that killed approximately 1,200 people.
Since October 7, more than 26,083 people, most of them women and children, were killed in the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
