Ceasefire inherent in ICJ ruling, says Pandor, while Netanyahu says Israel respects law but rejects genocide claims

Israel will have to halt fighting in the besieged Gaza strip if it wants to adhere to the orders of the International Court of Justice, minister of international relations Naledi Pandor said on Friday after a ruling by the UN's top court.

In a case brought by South Africa, the World Court ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians — though it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

“How do you provide aid and water without a ceasefire? If you read the order, by implication a ceasefire must happen,” Pandor said at the court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was committed to international law but reiterated it had a right to defend itself.

Netanhayu said the charge of genocide was “outrageous”.

“Like every country, Israel has a basic right to defend itself,” he said in a statement released in Hebrew.

“The World Court in The Hague justly rejected the outrageous demand to deprive us of this right,” he said, seemingly referring to the fact that the court stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire.

“But the mere claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is not only false, it's outrageous, and the willingness of the court to even discuss this is a disgrace that will not be erased for generations.”

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a televised speech on Friday: “The ICJ judges assessed the facts and the law, they ruled in favour of humanity and international law.”

Al-Maliki added that Palestine calls on all states to ensure the measures ordered by the court are implemented, including by Israel.

Reuters