the disappointment of the Palestinians after the ICJ decision on the situation in Gaza

Seized by South Africa, the International Court of Justice rendered its decision on Friday on accusations of genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza. A decision eagerly awaited in Ramallah but which the Palestinians consider insufficient.

It was a long-awaited historic verdict. The highest court of the UN, the International Court of Justice, rendered, on Friday January 26, a first decision on urgent measures requested against Israel by South Africa, which accuses it of committing a “genocide” in Gaza. The judicial body, based in The Hague (Netherlands), calls on Israel to take more measures to protect Palestinians and orders Israel to “prevent” acts that could lead to genocide.

For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke immediately after the verdict, it is a victory: “The violent attempt to deny Israel its basic right is blatant discrimination against the Jewish state. And it has been rightly rejected. The accusation of genocide against Israel is not only false, it is scandalous!”

“We are an oppressed people”

The Court did not go so far as to order a ceasefire in Gaza, leading to the disappointment of many Palestinians. In front of Ramallah town hall, a South African flag flies alongside Palestinian flags. Inside, there were around a hundred Palestinians, who had come to witness the verdict of the International Court of Justice live.

Iyad Staiti, a musician who came with his son, said he was disappointed. He hoped for a ceasefire, at a minimum, convinced of the genocide underway in Gaza: “This is a major problem, we are an oppressed people. As militarily weak people, we see that the law is always, unfortunately, on the side of the powerful. I hope that in the future international law will come into play a more decisive role.”

He makes it clear: a month of delay for Israel is another month of bombings, of mourning, of broken lives. As soon as the Court’s decision was announced in the room, there was no applause, closed faces. But some, like Issa Kassis, the mayor of Ramallah, want to remain optimistic: “We must not lose hope because in Gaza, they have lost hope. So yes, it is not up to our expectations, but it is not bad at all. I think they are very small steps towards liberation.”

Everyone in Ramallah repeats it: their struggle has always been “about ending the historical injustice inflicted on them.”