International Court of Justice in The Hague considers South Africa's appeal – Calls on Israel to allow humanitarian aid
The International Court of Justice in The Hague, which heard South Africa's appeal, ordered Israel on Friday to take all measures at its disposal to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.
As the reading continued, the court said Israel must ensure its forces do not commit genocide and take steps to improve the humanitarian situation.
At the same time, it calls on Israel to submit to the court within a month a report on what it is doing to comply with the order.
It also notes that all parties in the Gaza Strip are bound by international law.
At the start of the reading of the verdict in the case of South Africa's appeal against Israel, the Court announced that it had decided that it had jurisdiction to decide on the adoption of urgent measures in the case of the appeal against Israel for committing genocide in the Gaza Strip and that does not reject the appeal, as requested by the Israeli side.
South Africa, Palestinian Authority and Hamas welcome ICJ ruling – Israel reacts
South Africa, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas welcomed the ruling by the International Court of Justice in the case of South Africa's appeal against Israel, while an Israeli minister scoffed at it.
"Today marks a decisive victory for the international rule of law and an important milestone in the quest for justice for the Palestinian people," South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.
South Africa expresses its belief that Israel will not act to frustrate the implementation of this decree, as it has publicly threatened, but will instead act to fully comply with it, as it is bound to do.
At the same time he said that South Africa will continue to act within the framework of the institutions of global governance to protect the rights of the Palestinians in Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the interim measures ordered by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said today, as the reading of the Court's verdict in South Africa's appeal against Israel was underway.
"The judges of the International Court of Justice in The Hague evaluated the facts and the legislation, they ruled in favor of humanity and international law," he told a television network.
He added that Palestine calls on all states to ensure that the measures ordered by the Court are implemented "including Israel, the occupying power."
A senior Hamas official, speaking to Reuters, called on Israel to implement the court's decision.
For his part, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appeared to mock the ILO which ordered Israel to prevent genocidal acts against Palestinians and do more to help civilians in Gaza.
"Hague shmague," the Minister wrote to X, who was also the first Israeli official to comment after the reading from the court was over.