International Court of Justice calls on Israel to prevent any act of “genocide” in Gaza and facilitate humanitarian aid

South Africa immediately hailed a “decisive victory for the international rule of law”.

The highest court of the UN called on Israel on Friday January 26 to do everything possible to prevent any act of genocide in the Gaza Strip, issuing a long-awaited decision. Israel must do everything to “prevent the commission of any acts falling within the scope of application” of the Genocide Convention, declared the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which sits in The Hague (Netherlands).

The institution also calls on Israel to allow humanitarian access to Gaza. The Jewish state must take “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance that Palestinians urgently need to address the unfavorable living conditions facing [ils] are faced”ruled the International Court of Justice in its order (PDF link).

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, immediately reacted and judged “scandalous” the accusations of “genocide” in Gaza filed by South Africa. “The despicable attempt to deny Israel” THE “fundamental right” to defend oneself is “blatant discrimination against the Jewish state, and it was ‘rightly rejected’he estimated.

Reactions from several countries

South Africa welcomed a “a decisive victory for the international rule of law and an important step in the quest for justice for the Palestinian people”. The South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the Court “determined that Israel’s actions in Gaza are plausibly genocidal and indicated interim measures on that basis”thanking her “for his quick decision”. The Spanish government and the Turkish president also welcomed the ICJ’s decision.

France has not yet officially reacted. On X, the leader of La France insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, spoke about “a triumph of right over the law of the strongest”.