https://arab.news/6g862
- The court ordered Israel to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide
- Bringing the case to the UN’s top court has been a major diplomatic victory for South Africa
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday that he expects Israel to abide by the International Court of Justice’s ruling that it take measures to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa.
The court ordered Israel to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, to improve humanitarian access and to report back within a month on its efforts, as it wages war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
It stopped short of demanding a ceasefire and has not yet ruled on the core of the case brought by South Africa — whether genocide has occurred in Gaza. That ruling could take years.
Bringing the case to the UN’s top court has been a major diplomatic victory for South Africa, which has long championed the cause of Palestinians, likening their plight to its own under apartheid — a comparison Israel strongly rejects.
Israel had called for the case to be thrown out, denying South Africa’s allegations of genocide as “grossly distorted” and saying it makes efforts to avoid civilian casualties.