ICJ also ordered Israel to immediately allow “urgently-needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” to the Palestinians of Gaza strip
United Nations, Jan 27: The World Court on Friday ordered Israel to ensure that its military does not commit any actions that could be genocide in its campaign in Gaza against Hamas, but it did not dictate a ceasefire.
The court, formally known as the International Court of Justice, also ordered Israel to immediately allow “urgently-needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” to the Palestinians of Gaza. Citing inflammatory rhetoric from some Israeli leaders, the court also ordered Israel to punish and prevent incitement to genocide.
The court, which is based in The Hague, has no way of enforcing its judgments and countries can – and do – flout them. t also turned down the request of South Africa to order a ceasefire, while considering whether a genocide had been committed.
The interim judgment delivered by the court’s President Joan Donoghue spoke at length about the sufferings of the people of Gaza and the long-term effects of Israeli action.
“The court is acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy that is unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering,” it said.
The court reserved judgment on the crux of the case whether Israel had committed genocide, but said that “in the court’s view, at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the [genocide] convention”.
South Africa, with searing memories of apartheid and the suppression of the majority by the White minority rulers, took on the Palestinian cause, and brought the case against Israel to the court.
South Africa invoked the international convention on preventing genocide to allege that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, where
Israel launched a counterattack after Hamas had attacked it killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage on October 7. Israel’s counterattack has led to the killing of about 25,000 people, many of them women and children, and the displacement of about 85 per cent of Gaza’s population of about 2 million.
The judgement noted both the attacks. (IANS)