On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take “all measures within its power” to prevent acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip. However, the court fell short of ruling on a ceasefire.
“The State of Israel shall in accordance with its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in relation to the Palestinians in Gaza, take all measures within his power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article Two of the convention.”
ICJ also stated that Israel “must ensure with immediate effect that its military forces do not commit any of the aforementioned deaths.”
The court further considers that 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 in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has a month to report to the International Court of Justice on the implementation of the order.
On December 29, 2023, South Africa sued Israel in the UN International Court of Justice for violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.