The International Court of Justice at Hague on Friday, January 26, 2024 ordered Israel to do more to prevent the killing and harm of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, but it did not call for a cease-fire.
What is the case?
South Africa has allegeed that Israel is violating international law by committing and failing to prevent genocidal acts “to destroy Palestinians in Gaza”, and it had asked the court to order Israel to cease military operations in Gaza immediately.
Although Israel has rejected all the allegations against and so did the US its closest ally.
The verdict
At the hearing at The Hague’s Peace Palace, the President of the court read out its order and reasoning, confirming that the ICJ has jurisdiction in the landmark case and argues that there is an urgent need for measures due to the high possibility of genocide, including by allowing more humanitarian aid and punishing incitement.
Israel must submit a report in one month outlining how it is implementing the court’s orders and guidelines, the court Said.
Is this the final verdict?
This is not a verdict on whether Israel has committed genocide or not as that would take years.
These are just the provisional measures aim to prevent the situation from getting worse while the case proceeds.
Judge Joan Donoghue, the ICJ’s president and former State Department employee said, “The court considers that the civilian population in the Gaza Strip remains extremely vulnerable”.
“The court considers that the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is at serious risk of deteriorating further before the court renders its final judgment.”
After the ruling, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “the charge of genocide levelled against Israel is not only false, it’s outrageous, and decent people everywhere should reject it.”
He said Israel continues to facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians and would not end its campaign against Hamas.
The filing is “meritless”, said the Biden administration as Britain called the claims “nonsense”.
What is ICJ, and what authority does it holds?
The International Court of Justice, established after World War II to settle disputes between countries, is the main judicial body of the United Nations.
The U.N. General Assembly and Security Council elect the court’s 15 judges to nine-year terms. Its president is Joan Donoghue, a former legal adviser to the State Department.
The court’s rulings are legally binding, but enforcement can be tricky, and the rulings can be ignored. Russia, for example, rejected a 2022 order to cease its war against Ukraine.
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