World Court to rule on Friday on measures over Israel's Rafah offensive

23 May 2024 - 10:56
By Stephanie van den Berg and Bart Meijer
Ammar Hijazi, Palestine's assistant minister for multilateral affairs in the ministry of foreign and expatriates, and Zane Dangor, South Africa's director-general of the department of international relations and co-operation, in The Hague.
Image: Yves Herman Ammar Hijazi, Palestine's assistant minister for multilateral affairs in the ministry of foreign and expatriates, and Zane Dangor, South Africa's director-general of the department of international relations and co-operation, in The Hague.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will rule on Friday on South Africa's request to order a halt to Israel's Rafah offensive in Gaza, it said on Thursday.

In hearings last week South Africa asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to order a halt to Israel's offensive in Gaza, and in Rafah in particular, to ensure the “survival” of the Palestinian people.

The demand for such an emergency measure is part of a larger case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.

Israel has denounced South Africa's claim that it is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention, saying it makes a mockery of the crime of genocide.

The court has previously rejected Israel's demand to throw out the case and has ordered it to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians.

Reuters