The International Court of Justice (ICJ) / UN’s highest court ordered Israel to “take all measures” to avert genocide in Gaza, but did not call on Israel to halt its military operation in the war-torn region during its preliminary hearings on Friday at The Hague, Netherlands.
The ICJ called on Israel to minimize the death and devastation caused by the Tsahal (Israeli Army), as well as to prohibit and punish incitement to genocide while adequately ensuring the distribution of humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
Friday’s verdict only addressed South Africa’s request for emergency measures, which serves essentially as a cease-and-desist order as the Court analyzes the entire merits of the genocide case, which may take years.
The Court also directed Israel to “prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide,” as well as to “ensure the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” in Gaza.
The ICJ also called on Hamas to release all hostages.
While the ruling fell short of South Africa’s demands, it was an overwhelming rebuke of Israel’s wartime behavior and added to mounting international pressure to end this assault, which has killed over 26,000 Palestinians, decimated vast swaths of Gaza, and driven nearly 85 percent of its 2.3 million people from their homes.
Following the judgment, Israeli Prime Minister and master-of-spin Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the decision as a victory for Israel, dismissed the genocide charges as “outrageous,” and promised to continue the war, saying, “We will continue to do what is necessary to defend our country and defend our people.”
In response to the ICJ’s directives, Israel’s National Security Minister and architect for the assault on the Gaza Strip, Itamar Ben-Gvir, mockingly posted, “Hague, Schmague” on the “X” social media platform.
The ICJ is the primary judicial arm of the United Nations. It was founded in June, 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began functioning in April, 1946.
The Court’s duty is to resolve legal disputes brought to it by states in line with international law, as well as to provide advisory opinions on legal issues referred to it by authorized United Nations institutions and specialized agencies.
The Court is comprised of 15 justices who are chosen for nine-year terms by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
The court includes judges highly regarded and perceived as independent. South Africa’s judge, 76-year-old Dikgang Moseneke, is a retired justice who battled apartheid. Israel’s judge, Aharon Barak, 87, a Lithuanian-born Holocaust survivor, is the country’s most renowned jurist and former president of the Supreme Court.