The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to hold its first hearing in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, with several countries welcoming the move amid a global chorus for a ceasefire in Gaza.
In a lawsuit filed at the end of December, South Africa accused Israel of genocide in its war on Gaza and sought a halt to the brutal military assault that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, nearly 10,000 of them children.
The 84-page filing by South Africa alleges Israel violated the 1948 Genocide Convention, drawing the attention of the international community to the devastating impact of the conflict on Palestinian civilians. Both Israel and South Africa are signatories to the United Nations Genocide Convention, which gives the ICJ jurisdiction to rule on disputes over the treaty.
The Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), Malaysia, Turkey, Jordan, and Bolivia are among the countries that have voiced support for South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel. Several advocacy and civil society groups worldwide have also joined South Africa’s call for action.
Bolivia also highlighted that it, along with South Africa, Bangladesh, Comoros, and Djibouti, had filed a request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the situation in Palestine. The ICC and the ICJ are sometimes conflated, but while the ICJ resolves conflicts between states, the ICC prosecutes individuals for committing crimes.
While many countries and organizations have supported South Africa’s case, the United States has voiced opposition to the genocide case, calling it “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog also expressed his dismay at the lawsuit, thanking the US Secretary of State for Washington’s support of Israel.
Israel’s Western allies, including the European Union, have mostly remained silent on the ICJ case. However, the United Kingdom’s refusal to support the case has been met with accusations of double standards, as it had submitted detailed legal documents to the ICJ in support of claims that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya community.
The hearing at the ICJ is expected to bring to light the pivotal discussions surrounding the conflict in Gaza and may prompt further international action to address the humanitarian crisis in the region.