World Court says Israel must prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, aid must also be allowed in, but fails to order ceasefire
- ICJ rulings are binding, but it has little way of enforcing them, and some states ignore them. Russia was ordered to stop its invasion of Ukraine, for example
- South Africa brought the case against Israel because both signed the Genocide Convention, drawn up in 1948 when the world vowed ‘never again’ after the Holocaust
The UN top court on Friday said Israel must prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and facilitate “urgently needed” humanitarian aid into the besieged territory, handing down rulings in a case that has drawn global attention.
The court urged Israel to refrain from any possible 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 conditions of life faced by Palestinians,” the court said.
At this stage, the ICJ was not considering whether Israel is actually committing genocide in Gaza – that process will take several years.
But the court warned Israel to “take all measures in its power to prevent” acts that could fall under the UN Genocide Convention, set up in 1948 as the world reeled from the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.
It also said Israel should “prevent and punish” any incitement to genocide.
