THE HAGUE: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body of the United Nations (UN), said that it will issue a decision Saturday regarding South Africa’s request to order Israel to cease fire in Gaza.
South Africa wants the court to order Israel to “immediately” stop all military operations in Gaza, including the city of Rafah, where it began a ground onslaught on May 7, despite the opposition of the international community, Palestine News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported.
South Africa had asked the court to urge Israel to immediately withdraw its forces and stop its military attack on Rafah, and to immediately take all effective measures to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.
It also asked the court to issue an order to Israel to allow UN officials and organisations providing humanitarian aid, as well as journalists and investigators, to enter the Strip without hindrance.
It added that Israel has so far been ignoring and violating the orders previously issued by the court.
In January, the ICJ called upon Israel to avoid actions that could lead to genocide and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, Israel’s response has been deemed insufficient by various international observers.
Following these events, South Africa petitioned the court for new measures in response to Israel’s announcement of an impending attack on Rafah. The court, however, declined this request.
In early March, South Africa renewed its appeal to the ICJ for urgent measures. In the same month, the court mandated that Israel ensure the delivery of “urgent humanitarian assistance” to Gaza amidst an emerging famine in the besieged territory.
Recently, several nations, including Libya, Egypt, and Turkey, have declared their intention to formally support South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel. The case accuses Israel of committing acts of genocide in its ongoing onslaught on Gaza. - Bernama, WAFA
