The ICJ Genocide Case

On 29 December 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, alleging violations of the Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza that began in October 2023. Public hearings were held on 11–12 January 2024.

On 26 January 2024, the Court ordered provisional measures, finding that at least some of the rights claimed by South Africa under the Genocide Convention were plausible and that Palestinians in Gaza faced a real and imminent risk of irreparable prejudice. The Court ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocidal acts, to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, and to enable the provision of humanitarian assistance. Additional provisional measures were ordered in March and May 2024, including an order to halt the military offensive in Rafah.

The case — the first genocide case against Israel at the World Court — remains pending on the merits, a process expected to take years. It has become a landmark in the legal and diplomatic struggle over accountability for the war.