ICJ first ruling on South Africa genocide in Gaza

Agencies – Sudan Events

The top court for the United Nations will rule today whether it will grant emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide against Palestinians.
During two days of public hearings earlier this month, South Africa condemned Hamas for its brutal attack in Israel in October but said there is no justification for the scale of Israel’s response in Gaza.
South Africa has asked the court to order Israel to cease its assault on the Palestinian territory.
Israel rejected the genocide claim outright and argued in the court that South Africa’s claim was “distorted.” Israel also said it had a right to defend itself and was targeting Hamas, not Palestinians civilians.
In its initial ruling, the ICJ will not deal with the main question of whether Israel is committing genocide. The court will just look at possible emergency measures, meant as a kind of restraining order while the court looks at the full case — which usually takes years.
The decision will be legally-binding and made by a simple majority, but the court has no way to enforce it.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Canada supports the court and is “watching carefully” as it deliberates on the allegation — but he would not indicate whether Canada agrees with the allegation, or even if Canada would recognize the ICJ’s ruling if it does find Israel to be guilty of genocide.
“I’m not going to comment on what could be an eventual finding by a process that we support as it unfolds,” Trudeau said at a news conference in New Brunswick last week.