ICJ rules Israel committed genocide but won’t call Gaza ceasefire
After weeks of nervous wait, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) reached a verdict on Israel’s genocide case on January 26 brought to the UN’s top court by South Africa, reports The Guardian.
Although the court did not order a ceasefire in Gaza, they strictly called on Israel to prevent civilian deaths as well as preventing and holding to account those inciting genocidal acts, the latter of which far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies.
The court also called on the under-scrutiny, Middle Eastern state to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza as in addition to being asked to report back to the court within a month to ensure that no further breaches of international law take place.
The international community have largely called for a cessation of hostilities in the Palestinian enclave amidst a shockingly high death toll over the past 3 and half months (26,500 as of January 27).
Furthermore, the court’s President Joan Donoghue said that the ICJ had found sufficient evidence of dispute for the genocide case and will not throw it out.
READ: British FM “worried” about Israel commiting war crimes
South Africa dubbed the verdict as a “decisive victory” for international law as well as welcoming the measures put in place and hoped that Israel would abide by the court’s rulings.
South African Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor added, “How do you provide aid and water without a ceasefire? If you read the order, by implication, a ceasefire must happen.”
Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the ICJ’s decision was overall positive as well as affirming that no person or country should be above the law.
Foreign Minister Riyadh Maliki claimed that Israel did not do enough to persuade the court that it was not violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Israel called the verdict “outrageous” as its premier claimed that the state was fighting a “just war” not dissimilar to others.
In a statement, Netanyahu said that his country would continue to “defend itself” whilst “not violating international law”.
The Guardian/ Reuters
