Highlights:
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel remains committed to defending itself.
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Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki calls on all states to ensure that all provisional measures ordered by the Court are implemented.
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Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri says the ruling further exposes Israel’s crimes in Gaza.
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South Africa asks UN court to urgently examine Israel’s targeting of Rafah in ongoing genocide case
South Africa has welcomed a historic decision by the International Court of Justice, saying that the ruling had found Israel’s actions in Gaza plausibly genocidal.
“Today marks a decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people…South Africa thanks the Court for its swift ruling,” the department of international relations said in a statement.
South Africa stressed the importance of implementing international law and said the ICJ’s decision triggers a formal notification to the United Nations Security Council, transcending the potential hindrance of individual states’ veto power to ensure justice prevails, especially in the face of the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
Crucially, the ruling places a serious onus on Third States to act independently and promptly to prevent potential genocide by Israel. This includes ceasing financial and logistical support for Israel’s military actions. The international community is now on notice, compelled to take concrete measures to prevent genocide and uphold the principles enshrined in the Genocide Convention.
The provisional measures, directly binding on Israel, demand an immediate cessation of actions deemed plausibly genocidal. The Court’s order debunks any claims by Israel that its military actions comply with international law, including the Genocide Convention.
South Africa said it hoped that Israel would comply with the court order, given that it has publicly threatened to frustrate the process.
The South African government will “continue to act within the institutions of global governance to protect the rights, including the fundamental right to life, of Palestinians in Gaza – which continue to remain at urgent risk including from Israeli military assault, starvation and disease – and to obtain the fair and equal application of international law to all, in the interest of our collective humanity.”
Read the full South African statement here.
Watch: President Ramaphosa addresses the nation after ICJ decision.
South Africa has used its position within BRICS to rally support for the Palestinian cause. Last year, during its BRICS presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted a BRICS meeting to address the crisis in Gaza. The meeting ended with a call for a ceasefire.
Israel appeared defiant following the ruling. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Israel’s commitment to international law is unwavering. Equally unwavering is our sacred commitment to continue to defend our country and defend our people. Like every country, Israel has an inherent right to defend itself.”
Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki said: “The ICJ judges assessed the facts and the law, they ruled in favour of humanity and international law. We call on all states to ensure that all provisional measures ordered by the Court are implemented, including by Israel, the occupying power. This is a binding legal obligation. The ICJ order is an important reminder that no state is above the law. It should serve as a wake-up call for Israel and actors who enabled its entrenched impunity.”
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said: ”The International Court of Justice ruling is an important development that contributes to isolating the occupation (Israel) and exposing its crimes in Gaza. We call for compelling the occupation to implement the court’s decisions.”
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