'Disappointment': Demands grow for Gaza ceasefire after ICJ ruling on Israel
"ICJ complex ruling is a disappointment as it did not call for an end to the brutal war," says a former ambassador
Updated Friday Jan 26 2024
The UN top court on Friday said Israel must prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and facilitate "urgently needed" humanitarian aid into the besieged territory, handing down rulings in a case that has drawn global attention.
But while the court determined that the case falls under its jurisdiction, it failed to call for a ceasefire, drawing both commendation and condemnation from opposing sides.
The court urged Israel to refrain from any possible genocidal acts as it presses its military operation in the Gaza Strip but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.
Israel must take "immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians," the court said.
At this stage, the ICJ was not considering whether Israel was actually committing genocide in Gaza — that process would take several years.
But the court warned Israel to "take all measures in its power to prevent" acts that could fall under the UN Genocide Convention, set up in 1948 as the world reeled from the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust.
'Not enough' — Pakistan's ex-diplomat Maleeha Lodhi
'Kill the Palestinians, but slowly' — Palestinian journalist Ahmed Alnaouq
'Disappointed' — Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto
'Israel's contemptuous arguments thrown out' — Member EU Parliament Clare Daly
'Stings' — Palestinian writer Mohammed El-Kurd
'Charge will now remain live for years' — US-based journalist Akbar Shahid Ahmed
'Blow to both Israel and its arms supplier, US' — US-based journalist Sana Saeed
'Thank you South Africa' — British MP Zarah Sultana
'We will continue to do what is necessary to defend our country' — Israeli PM Netanyahu
Header image: Judges at the International Court of Justice rule on emergency measures against Israel following accusations by South Africa that the Israeli military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide, in The Hague, Netherlands, January 26, 2024. — Reuters