SA hails World Court order on Israel as landmark

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has ruled in favour of South Africa’s request to halt Israel’s Rafah offensive in Gaza.

The World Court has ordered Israel to immediately stop military operations and allow access to humanitarian aid.

In its fourth submission to the ICJ last week, South Africa requested new emergency measures over Israel’s incursion in Rafah, as part of its ongoing case, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

The court says the situation in Gaza has deteriorated since its order in January and described it as a humanitarian nightmare.

‘Ground-breaking ruling’

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor has hailed the ruling as ground-breaking.

In its new order of provisional measures, the Court says it considers, in conformity with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, that Israel must immediately halt its military offensive and any other action in the Rafah Governate that may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza “conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”

It further decides that Israel should maintain and open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to allow unhindered provisions, at scale, of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance and take effective measures to ensure the unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or other investigative body mandated by competent organs of the United Nations to investigate allegations of genocide.

Unpacking the verdict of the World Court on Israel:

The ICJ also orders Israel to report back to it within a month on measures taken to give effect to the new provisional orders. Israel earlier indicated that no power on earth would stop it from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza. -Additional reporting by Reuters