International Court of Justice Renders Decision in Israel’s Genocide Case

(NewsSpace.com) – Israel has been relentless in its quest to eradicate Hamas in the months since the October 7 terrorist attack that killed nearly 1,200 people. However, more than 2 million people have been displaced, and tens of thousands are said to have been killed or injured in Gaza as a result of the war. Government attorneys from South Africa recently took the matter before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and accused Israel of genocide, seeking an immediate ceasefire. After a two-day trial, the court has issued its ruling.

The ICJ ruled on Friday, January 26. It ordered Israel to take several steps to end the atrocities taking place in Gaza, affecting millions of civilians. While the court stopped short of ordering an immediate ceasefire, it did issue six provisions that Israel must follow.

Enact all measures within its power to prevent the commission of acts prohibited by the Genocide Convention.
Use all measures to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide.
Ensure its military doesn’t engage in prohibited acts.
Enable provision of urgently needed humanitarian aid and basic services to Palestinians.
Prevent destruction and ensure preservation of evidence to allegations of genocide and other acts prohibited by the Convention.
Submit a report to ICJ on all measures addressing these provisions within a month.

The provisions are meant to halt the act of killing civilians, a figure that has reportedly exceeded 25,000.

The ruling was met with a mixture of reactions. Israel was content with it, while Palestinians were hoping that the ICJ would rule as it did in the Russo-Ukraine war, ordering an immediate ceasefire. The verdict is different in this instance, because it validates the fact “that Israel does have a legitimate claim of self-defense,” according to Hebrew University law professor, Yuval Shany, who used to chair the UN Human Rights Committee.

After the ruling, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had no intentions of stopping the crusade to annihilate Hamas.