The International Court of Justice (ICJ) did not order a ceasefire in Gaza today, Friday.
The court demanded that Israel should prevent actions that could be interpreted as genocide and ensure that its army does not do anything that could be interpreted as genocide. You can read the decision in English here.
According to the ICJ, Israel must ensure that evidence that could be used in the investigation of the genocide is not destroyed.
In addition, the ICJ demanded that Israel should report on its actions to avoid genocide within a month.
According to the court, Israel must improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. In addition, it should prevent and punish public comments that could be considered incitement to genocide.
The president of the ICJ told about the preliminary position of the court Joan E. Donoghue. 17 judges have been deciding on the matter.
The chairman said that today’s decisions do not presuppose a later decision.
Israel has demanded that the court dismiss the case. The court considers that South Africa has sufficient grounds to suspect that Israel is guilty of the genocide of the Palestinian population of Gaza. According to Chairman Donoghue, the court cannot dismiss the case.
The court also took into account the hostages taken by the terrorist organization Hamas. It expressed concern about their fate and demanded their immediate release, reports the BBC.
Part of a larger whole
The court’s decision is an interim decision in a wider case initiated by South Africa. Processing the whole thing can take years.
According to the lawsuit drawn up by South Africa, Israel is guilty of mass destruction with its military operations in Gaza, which is often called genocide. The International Court of Justice started dealing with the case about two weeks ago.
Israel has strongly denied the accusations of genocide. Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said Thursday that Israel expects the court to dismiss the “false and misleading charges.”
South Africa demanded that the court impose interim measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza. The country’s main demand was for the court to order Israel to immediately stop hostilities against Gaza.
The International Court of Justice ICJ, located in The Hague, Holland, is a court under the UN that deals with charges against countries.
Israel often boycotts international courts and UN investigations, calling them unfair and biased. This time, however, Israel put a high-level legal team to work. According to the AP news agency, this signals how seriously it takes the case.
The court’s interim rulings are legally binding, but it is unclear whether Israel would comply with them.
For years, South Africa has been very critical of Israel and made the treatment of the Palestinians prominent. The country considers Israel’s actions towards the Palestinians to be an apartheid policy comparable to racial discrimination.
Israel started the war in Gaza after the extremist organization Hamas launched a bloody attack on Israel in October. More than 1,100 people died in the Hamas attack. At least 26,083 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel: “We are fighting a legitimate war”
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu called the handling of genocide charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice “a disgrace that will not be forgotten for generations”.
Netanyahu repeated his position that Israel is waging a legitimate war in Gaza.
– We will continue the war until we have achieved a total victory, released all the hostages and eliminated the threat to Israel from Gaza, Netanyahu declared.
The extremist organization Hamas, which manages Gaza, on the other hand, welcomed the ICJ’s decision, and stated that it helps Israel’s international isolation.
South Africa, which initiated the lawsuit, praised the court’s decision and quick action.
– This day marks a victory for international law, and a significant milestone for the realization of the rights of the Palestinian people, the South African government commented in the press release.
Sources: AP, Reuters
The case was updated with ICJ claims on February 26 at 15:17 and 15:23. As well as comments from Israel, Hamas and South Africa at 15:47.