Israel must act to prevent genocide in Gaza, ICJ says

Although it stopped short of imposing a cease-fire, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday directed Israel to take “all measures within its power” to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.

The ruling follows a genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this month. The move was taken in an attempt to stop the carnage in Gaza, where over 26,000 Palestinians have died since October 7.

By 15 votes to two, the ICJ, in its interim ruling, said: “The State of Israel shall, in accordance with its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of this Convention.”

The court was particularly referring to: “(a) killing members of the group; (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; and (d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.”

Regarding the blockade of humanitarian assistance and services, the ICJ said Israel “shall take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

The court also called for “effective measures” to avert the destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence related to allegations of acts.

The court added that it is “acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy that is unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering.”

“In the Court’s view, at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa to have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the (Genocide) Convention,” it said.

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.