ICJ tells Israel to prevent civilian deaths in Gaza; Stops short of ordering ceasefire

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to do what it can to prevent casualties in Gaza. The country must also do what it can to prevent genocide, the judges ruled. The court made an interim ruling in a case brought by South Africa, accusing Israel of genocide for killing over 26,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 7. The court fell short of ordering a ceasefire or an extended halt to hostilities.

The court ordered the Israeli government on several points to take measures to better protect Gazans. The country must prevent and punish all calls for genocide against the residents of Gaza. And it must take “immediate and drastic measures” to improve living conditions in Gaza and collect evidence of possible wrongdoing.

The court also said that all parties in the Gaza Strip must comply with international law. The hostages must be released “immediately and unconditionally,” said chairman Joan Donoghue.

Donoghue said the court is concerned about the “human tragedy” in Gaza and the many deaths and suffering of people there. In her statement, she referred, among other things, to UN emergency coordinator Martin Griffiths, who said that Gaza is in danger of becoming uninhabitable. Several officials have warned of the plight of the Gazans, the court noted.

The death toll in Gaza stood at 26,083 people killed on January 26, Al Jazeera reported based on figures from the Health Ministry in the territory. Over 10,000 of those killed are children, and more than 8,000 kids are still missing under the rubble. Over 64,000 Palestinians have been injured in the Gaza Strip, including 8,663 children. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), over 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced, most of them multiple times.

The violence was sparked by Hamas attacks on Israel, in which 1,139 people were killed and over 200 hostages taken.

The International Court of Justice is also considering whether Israel has violated the Genocide Convention. That ruling will take longer. The only question at this stage was whether emergency measures were necessary to prevent possible violations.

The ruling was received as a victory by opponents of the war, who gathered at the peace palace in The Hague.