South Africa says Israel already ignoring UN court ruling ordering it to prevent deaths in Gaza

Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza after UN’s top court said it must prevent genocidal acts

ICJ case was brought by South Africa, which has been an advocate for the Palestinian cause for decades

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A mass grave in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, for Palestinians killed in the war. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:59am, 1 Feb 2024Updated: 2:55pm, 1 Feb 2024

Israel has ignored the ruling by the UN’s top court last week by killing hundreds more civilians in a matter of days in Gaza, South Africa’s foreign minister said Wednesday, adding that her country has asked why an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been issued in a case South Africa filed at the separate International Criminal Court.

Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said South Africa would “look at proposing other measures to the global community” in a bid to stop Israel killing civilians during its war in Gaza against Hamas militants, but didn’t go into details.

The preliminary ruling by the UN’s International Court of Justice in South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide against Palestinians in the territory.

It stopped short of ordering a ceasefire. It also ruled Israel must urgently get basic humanitarian aid to Gaza and submit a report on steps taken to abide by the ruling within a month.

An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires towards Gaza on January 31. Photo: Reuters

A top official in South Africa’s foreign ministry has said the country hopes that Friday’s ruling, and whether Israel is abiding by it, will be discussed on a wider level at the United Nations, possibly as early as Wednesday.