Human Rights Watch applauds ICJ ruling Israel
Human Rights Watch has applauded the provisional measures by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel in a lawsuit brought by South Africa, where it alleges that Israel violated the Genocide Convention in Gaza.
The UN’s top court, in its historic pronouncement, rules on Friday that Israel must take all measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza but stops short of ordering an immediate halt to operations
Reacting to the ruling, Balkees Jarrah, the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, highlighted the significance of the ICJ’s decision.
“The World Court’s landmark decision puts Israel and its allies on notice that immediate action is needed to prevent genocide and further atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza,” Jarrah said.
The ICJ’s decision came after hearings on January 11 and 12, where South Africa pursued urgent measures in response to Israel’s alleged atrocities against Palestinians, marking Israel’s first formal response to such allegations since October 7, 2023.
Despite the latest ruling, a pronouncement on South Africa’s allegation of genocide is not expected for years, as Israel strongly denies the accusation, calling it “baseless.”
At least 26,083 people have been killed and 64,487 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks stands at 1,139.
In the last 24 hours, 183 people have been killed and 377 wounded throughout the enclave, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
