The International Court of Justice (ICJ) does not dismiss the case alleging genocide against Israel. The judges in The Hague decided this on Friday. The Court recognizes the right of the Palestinians to be protected from genocide. In this respect, South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel is plausible. The ICJ also expressed deep concern about the continued loss of life in the Gaza Strip. The judges therefore called on Israel to take immediate measures to protect the people in the Gaza Strip from genocide and to enable humanitarian aid. However, the court does not order an end to Israel’s military operations.
A final judgment by the ICJ on whether Israel is actually committing “genocide” against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip or not will not be made in The Hague for the time being. This decision on the main issue could take years.
At the end of December, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel alleging genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and called for an immediate stop to Israeli attacks on the narrow coastal strip. As a court of the United Nations (UN), the ICJ decides on disputes between states. His sentences are primarily symbolic, as they are difficult to enforce. The ICJ had also called on Russia to end its war of aggression in Ukraine.
At the hearing in the Peace Palace in The Hague about two weeks ago, Israel’s representative firmly rejected the allegations. “Israel is at war with (the Islamist organization) Hamas, but not with the Palestinian people,” Israeli Foreign Ministry legal adviser Tal Becker said. Israel also rejected calls for an end to the military operation. The reason given was that this would deprive the country of its right to self-defense. The USA and the federal government also consider the lawsuit to be unfounded.
Since the major attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7th, in which, according to Israeli figures, 1,140 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage into the Gaza Strip, Israel has been carrying out massive attacks in the Gaza Strip. According to Hamas information that cannot be independently verified, over 26,000 people have been killed there so far.
