World Court orders Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza ICJ fails to order ceasefire, says it would not throw out the case, as Israel requested

icj president joan donoghue c speaks at the international court of justice icj prior to the verdict announcement in the genocide case against israel brought by south africa in the hague on january 26 2024 photo afp

World Court orders Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza

International Court of Justice fails to order ceasefire, says it would not throw out the case, as Israel requested.

THE HAGUE   (  Web News  )

The World Court ordered Israel on Friday to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by South Africa.

South Africa brought the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this month, asking it to grant emergency measures to halt the fighting, which has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians.

It accused Israel of state-led genocide in its offensive, begun after Hamas fighters stormed into Israel killing 1,200 and kidnapping more than 240. Israel sought to have the case thrown out.

While the ICJ did not order a ceasefire, it said it would not throw out the genocide case, ruling that the Palestinians appeared to be a protected group under the 1948 Genocide Convention. It did not decide the merits of the genocide allegations.

Israel has called South Africa’s allegations false and “grossly distorted”, and said it makes the utmost efforts to avoid civilian casualties.