The U.N.'s top court said Friday that Israel must prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and facilitate “urgently needed” humanitarian aid in the besieged territory, issuing rulings in a case that has attracted global attention.
But while the court determined that the case falls within its jurisdiction, it did not call for a ceasefire, drawing both praise and condemnation from opposing sides.
The court urged Israel to refrain from any potential genocidal acts as it presses its military operation in the Gaza Strip, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.
Israel must take “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse living conditions faced by Palestinians,” the court said.
At this stage, the ICJ was not considering whether Israel was actually committing genocide in Gaza; That process would take several years.
But the court warned Israel to “take all measures in its power to prevent” acts that could fall under the U.N. Genocide Convention, established in 1948 as the world reeled from the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.
'It's not enough': former Pakistani diplomat Maleeha Lodhi
'Kill the Palestinians, but slowly' – Palestinian journalist Ahmed Alnaouq
'Disappointed': Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto
“Israel's derogatory arguments dismissed” – EU Member of Parliament Clare Daly
'Stings': Palestinian writer Mohammed El-Kurd
'The accusation will continue for years': US-based journalist Akbar Shahid Ahmed
'A blow to both Israel and its arms supplier, the United States': US-based journalist Sana Saeed
'Thank you South Africa': British MP Zarah Sultana
'We will continue to do whatever is necessary to defend our country' – Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
Header image: International Court of Justice judges rule on emergency measures against Israel following South Africa's accusations that the Israeli military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide, in The Hague, Netherlands, on January 26 2024. – Reuters
