THE HAGUE: The World Court ordered Israel on Friday to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by South Africa.
The court found that Palestinians were protected under the convention and that there was a case to be heard about whether their rights were being denied in fighting that the court said was causing grievous humanitarian harm. It also called for Palestinian groups to release hostages captured in the October 7 attacks that precipitated the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the court had “justly rejected the outrageous demand” to deprive Israel of what he called the “basic right to defend itself”, by ordering it to halt fighting.
“But the mere claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is not only false, it’s outrageous, and the willingness of the court to even discuss this is a disgrace that will not be erased for generations.”
Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked the ruling in a two-word social media post with a Yiddish-style putdown: “Hague shmague”.
South Africa brought the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this month, asking it to grant emergency measures to halt the fighting, which has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians and displaced the majority of the population in a more than three-month campaign of intensive bombardment.
The judges ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide, punish acts of incitement, take steps to improve the humanitarian situation and report back on its progress in a month.
It did not decide the merits of the genocide allegations, which could take years. Although the ruling cannot be appealed, the court has no mechanism to enforce its decision. Israel had demanded the case be thrown out, calling South Africa’s allegations false and “grossly distorted”.
Assault on Khan Younis
On the ground in Gaza, the fighting has entered a particularly destructive phase, with the heaviest fighting in weeks now taking place in crowded areas jammed with hundreds of thousands of people who fled elsewhere.
On Friday, Israel kept up its bombardment of the main Southern city of Khan Younis, where it said it was involved in “intensive battles”, with forces striking dozens of Hamas fighters and infrastructure from the air and ground.
Residents said gunbattles raged overnight, with Israeli forces blowing up buildings and houses in the western part of the city in what has become one of its biggest offensives so far, waged among hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians.
Israel said it had discovered some 200 tunnel shafts and destroyed more than 130 infrastructure sites in its latest operations, as well as killing “numerous militants”.
Palestinians say Israel has blockaded hospitals making it impossible for rescuers to reach the dead and wounded. Israel denies blockading hospitals and says Hamas fighters are to blame for fighting near them for operating there.
We believe many victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, the occupation prevents ambulance and civil emergency teams from reaching them, Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra said.
Islamabad hails ICJ’s provisional measures
Pakistan Friday welcomed the provisional measures ordered today by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) wherein it concluded that prima facie, it has the jurisdiction to entertain the case against Israel and that South Africa’s claims of genocide are “plausible”.
“The implementation of these provisional measures requires an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to bring about an end to the suffering faced by the people of Gaza,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.
Reaffirming Islamabad’s unwavering support to the Palestinian people in their just and legitimate struggle for the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination, the FO called for a “full and effective implementation of the ICJ’s decision so that basic human rights, dignity and identity of Palestinian people as a distinct group are upheld and protected, as stipulated by the UN Charter, relevant UN resolutions, and international law.”
US reiterates allegations of Israel genocide ‘unfounded’
The United States on Friday reiterated its position that allegations Israel has committed genocide in Gaza are “unfounded,” after the UN’s top court ruled Israel must do more to prevent civilian deaths.
“We continue to believe that allegations of genocide are unfounded and note the court did not make a finding about genocide or call for a ceasefire in its ruling,” a US State Department spokesman said after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to do everything to “prevent the commission of all acts within the scope” of the Genocide Convention.
South Africa hails ‘decisive victory’
South Africa on Friday hailed a ruling by the United Nations’ top court that Israel should do everything it can to prevent any acts of genocide in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague handed down its verdict in a landmark case brought by Pretoria also ordering Israel to allow humanitarian access to the Palestinian territory.
“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 ministry of foreign affairs said.
“The decision is a momentous one,” it added, thanking the court for its “swift ruling”.
South Africa has accused Israel of breaching the 1948 UN Genocide Convention — set up in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust — during its military campaign in Gaza, sparked by the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
The court did not pass judgement on whether or not Israel is actually committing genocide but handed down emergency orders while it considers the wider accusation — a process that is likely to take years.