The top court of the United Nations ruled on Friday that the case brought by South Africa, which alleged Israel was committing genocide against Gaza, will proceed. The court said that while the legal battle could last for years, Israel must act now to prevent genocide in Gaza and get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The order from
A case brought by South Africa alleging Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza will proceed, according to a ruling from the best court of the United Nations on Friday. The court ruled that Israel must act immediately to stop genocide and bring more charitable aid into Gaza, even though the legal battle will last for years.
South Africa requested a ceasefire when it filed the case next month, but the order from the International Court of Justice in the Hague falls short of that request. However, it does acknowledge “many deaths and injuries to Palestinians,” as well as “massive home destruction, forceful eviction of the vast majority of people, and significant harm to human infrastructure.” In fact, as my colleagues and I have noted, the death toll of the war on Palestinians has been staggering: according to the most recent data from the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 26, 000 have perished.
Israel had dropped more than 25, 000 tons of explosives on Gaza by the beginning of November, which is the same amount as two nuclear weapons.
When online access is accessible, Yousef Hammash will send out sound clips of everything that has happened. This is his story. pic. 1crTfpKxb9 twitter.com
Mother Jones ( @MotherJones ) on December 19, 2023
The UN judges also cited a number of statements made by prominent Jewish officials, including one from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in which he vowed to “eliminate everything,” that contributed to the case’s plausibility.
The court order outlines the actions Israel must take, such as halting the incitement of genocide, allowing for the provision of charitable aid, and “preserving evidence” in relation to claims that the Holocaust occurred. South Africa had previously asked for a report of this kind to be produced within one week of the court’s decision, but the judges also demanded that Israel submit one to the tribunal within ten days outlining the actions it has taken in response. Former Israeli Supreme Court President Aharon Barak, who the nation appointed as an ad hoc judge earlier this month, voted against all but two of the 17 UN judges ‘ votes ( those requiring more humanitarian aid and the prevention of incitement of genocide ). Justice Julia Sebutinde of Uganda, another country’s representative on the UN, supported all of those measures.
The order also states that the judges” call for their immediate and unconditional release” and “gravely concerned about the fate of the [ Israeli] hostages abducted” by Hamas on October7.
The @CIJ_ICJ proclaimed on Friday that Palestinians had a right to be protected from acts of genocide and urged Israel to “take all measures within its power” to stop for actions and allow the entry of urgently needed charitable aid into the war-shattered enclave pic. twitter.com/W0tsSPKjw9
January 26, 2024, UN News ( @UN_News_Centre )
The judges “ruled in favor of humanity and foreign law,” according to Riyad al-Maliki, the minister of Arab international affairs.
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded the accusations of genocide as “false” and “outrageous,” claiming that Israel was defending itself against Hamas in Gaza and pledging to spare Israeli civilians from harm. On the other hand, South Africa hailed the decision as” a major turning point in the pursuit of justice for the Arab people and a decisive victory for global law.”
The court order was praised by experts, but they also warned that it might take years before the court rules on the allegations of genocide against Israel, and that in the interim, lawmakers must take action to put an end to the suffering of Palestinians.
The ruling, according to Stockton University genocide expert Raz Segal, is “unprecedented” and” signals the end of Jewish impunity in the international legal system.” It is then up to the world to ensure that this court decision is actually carried out, Israeli human rights attorney Diana Buttu told host Amy Goodman. The best court of the UN decided on Friday that a case brought by South Africa alleging Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza will proceed. The court ruled that Israel must act immediately to stop genocide and bring more charitable aid to Gaza, even though the legal battle will last for years. The directive from the
The top court of the United Nations ruled on Friday that the case brought by South Africa, which alleged Israel was committing genocide against Gaza, will proceed. The court said that while the legal battle could last for years, Israel must act now to prevent genocide in Gaza and get more humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The order from
Judges at the International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled Friday that Israel must immediately work to prevent genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire as requested by South Africa last month.Remko De Waal/ANP via ZUMA. Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.. The United Nations’ top court ruled Friday that a case brought by South Africa alleging Israel is committing genocide in Gaza will go forward. While the legal battle will play out for years, the court said Israel must take steps now to prevent genocide and get more humanitarian aid into Gaza.. The order from the International Court of Justice in the Hague stops short of the ceasefire South Africa requested when it filed the case last month. Still, it does acknowledge “a large number of deaths and injuries [to Palestinians], as well as the massive destruction of homes, the forcible displacement of the vast majority of the population, and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.” Indeed, as my colleagues and I have reported, the toll of the war has been staggering for Palestinians: more than 26,000 have been killed, according to the latest numbers from the Gaza Health Ministry.. By early November, Israel had deployed more than 25,000 tons of explosives on Gaza, the equivalent of two nuclear bombs.. Yousef Hammash has watched it all unfold, sending out audio clips when internet access is available. This is his account. pic.twitter.com/1crTfpKxb9. — Mother Jones (@MotherJones) December 19, 2023. The UN judges also pointed to several statements by top Israeli officials that helped establish the plausibility of the case, including a comment by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in which he pledged to “eliminate everything.”. The court order outlines steps Israel must take, including preventing the mass killing of Palestinians, stopping incitement of genocide, allowing for the provision of humanitarian assistance, and the “preservation of evidence” related to genocide claims. The judges also demanded Israel submit a report to the court in a month detailing the measures it has taken in response to the order, though South Africa had originally requested such a report be produced within a week of the court’s ruling. Fifteen of the 17 UN judges voted to support all of those measures; Justice Julia Sebutinde, of Uganda, voted against all of them, and former Israeli Supreme Court President Aharon Barak—who the country appointed as an ad hoc judge earlier this month—voted against all but two (those requiring more humanitarian aid and the preventing incitement of genocide).. The order also acknowledges that the judges are “gravely concerned about the fate of the [Israeli] hostages abducted” by Hamas on Oct. 7, and “calls for their immediate and unconditional release.”. The @CIJ_ICJ on Friday declared that Palestinians had a right to be protected from acts of genocide, calling on Israel to “take all measures within its power” to prevent such actions and allow the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the war-shattered enclave pic.twitter.com/W0tsSPKjw9. — UN News (@UN_News_Centre) January 26, 2024. Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad al-Maliki said the judges “ruled in favor of humanity and international law.”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the genocide accusations as “false” and “outrageous” in a statement, characterizing the country’s actions in Gaza as self-defense against Hamas, and pledging to limit harm to Palestinian civilians. South Africa, on the other hand, called the ruling “a decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people.”. Experts hailed the court order as significant, but cautioned that it could be years before the court issues a ruling on the genocide allegations against Israel—and that, in the meantime, lawmakers must act to end the suffering of Palestinians.. Raz Segal, a genocide scholar at Stockton University, told “Democracy Now” that the ruling is “unprecedented” and signals “the end of Israeli impunity in the international legal system.” And Palestinian human rights lawyer Diana Buttu told host Amy Goodman that “it’s now up to the world to make sure that this court ruling is actually enacted.”
