World court orders Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered its ruling on the emergency measures requested by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel over its war on the Gaza Strip.
The World Court on Friday did not order a ceasefire in Gaza but told Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in the besieged strip.
ICJ President Joan Donoghue noted that the court had found sufficient evidence of dispute for the genocide case and said it will not throw it out.
Israel has also been ordered to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and has been asked to report back to the court within a month about how it is upholding the court’s orders.
Here are some global reactions to the pivotal ruling:
Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the ICJ’s ruling, saying in a statement it is an “important reminder” that no state is above the law.
Foreign Minister Riyadh Maliki noted that Israel failed to persuade the court that it is not violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
In a statement he said: “The ICJ judges saw through Israel’s politicisation, deflection, and outright lies. They assessed the facts and the law and ordered provisional measures that recognised the gravity of the situation on the ground and the veracity of South Africa’s application. … Palestine calls on all states to ensure respect for the order of the International Court of Justice, including by Israel.”
He added that Israel will continue to defend itself and its citizens while adhering to international law.
Meanwhile, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked the ICJ after the court issued its interim ruling.
“Hague shmague,” the minister wrote on the social media platform X.
The South African government called the ICJ ruling a “decisive victory” for international law.
In a statement, the government said it welcomed the provisional measures and said it sincerely hoped Israel would not act to frustrate the application of the court’s orders.
Palestine
It further said the ruling marked a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people and added that South Africa will continue to act within global institutions to protect the rights of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Outside the ICJ headquarters in The Hague, Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s minister of international relations, told reporters that Israel will have to halt fighting in Gaza if it wants to adhere to the orders of the UN’s top court.
Hamas hailed the court’s “important” ruling, saying it “contributes to isolating Israel”.
“The [International] Court of Justice’s decision is an important development which contributes to isolating Israel and exposing its crimes in Gaza,” it said in a statement.
Egypt welcomed the ruling on implementing emergency measures.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement also said Egypt “was looking forward to the International Court of Justice demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the court ruled in similar cases”, stressing the need to respect and implement the ICJ’s decisions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the ruling, saying he hoped it would halt attacks against civilians.
“We hope that Israel’s attacks against women, children and the elderly will come to an end,” Erdogan said in a social media statement, called the ICJ ruling “valuable”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian called for Israeli authorities to be “brought to justice” after the ICJ ruling, according to Iranian state media reports.
Amirabdollahian also congratulated South Africa and the Palestinian people on “success” at the ICJ.
“Today, the officials of the fake Israeli regime are the most hated people in the world’s public opinion who must be brought to justice immediately for committing genocide and unprecedented war crimes against Palestinians,” he wrote on X.
“I must emphasise that the White House’s all-around support for the crimes of the Zionists will also never be forgotten and is considered and followed up by public opinion,” Amirabdollahian added.
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