ICJ to rule on SA's genocide case against Israel at The Hague on Friday

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will on Friday rule on South Africa's application for emergency measures to be implemented against Israel for that country's alleged genocide in its war in Gaza.

The UN's top court said on Wednesday that its 17-judge panel will hand down its ruling at noon GMT. It will be read by its president, judge Joan Donoghue, at a public sitting at the Peace Palace. 

International relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor will travel to The Hague for the ruling, head of public diplomacy Clayson Monyela said on Wednesday.

South Africa, in its application made on December 29, asked the court to indicate “provisional measures”: binding, interim orders for Israel to immediately suspend its military operations in Gaza, to stop killing and injuring Palestinians and to stop “deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about [their] destruction”.

The provisional measures hearing — on January 11 and 12 — was the first part of South Africa’s case against Israel. Its bigger case, to be argued in due course, is that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention in a number of ways, including by committing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people. 

 In a statement on Wednesday, the ICJ said its president, judge Joan Donoghue, will read the court’s order during a public sitting at the Peace Palace at 1pm. 

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