The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to deliver a historic ruling on South Africa's request for emergency measures in its genocide case against Israel over the Gaza conflict, a decision that could reshape international relations and humanitarian law. Picture: Remko de Waal / ANP MAG / ANP via AFP
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), will hand down a pivotal ruling on Friday - expected to send shock waves across the world - on whether it will grant emergency measures to stop Israel’s war on Gaza, which has so far claimed over 25 000 lives.
The ruling concerns South Africa's request for interim measures in its landmark genocide lawsuit against Israel.
A delegation representing the South African government has reportedly arrived in The Hague, the headquarters for the ICJ, in anticipation of the court's decision.
Their presence highlights the case's gravity and the anticipation surrounding the forthcoming order.
South Africa has accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention with its brutal assault on Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of more than 25,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, over a three-month period.
It came after Hamas operatives launched unexpected attacks on Israel from Gaza on October 7 and killed 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostages.
What followed was a vicious bombing campaign in the densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip, where some two million people live, followed by a brutal ground invasion.
Israel has vehemently denied that its action in the Gaza Strip is genocidal.
On Friday, the court is expected to rule on the possible emergency measures to stop the war, but it is not expected to rule on the allegations of genocide, which could take years for an outcome.
In a statement on Thursday, the ICJ said it will deliver its order at 1pm. at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which Judge Joan E Donoghue, the President of the Court, will read the court's order.
“It is recalled that on 29 December 2023, South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the "Genocide Convention") in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” the ICJ statement read.
“In its application, South Africa also requested the Court to indicate provisional measures in order to ‘protect against further, severe, and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention’ and ‘to ensure Israel's compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention not to engage in genocide and to prevent and punish genocide’”.
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