What is South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ?

The International Court of Justice on Friday will issue its decision on a request by South Africa for emergency measures sought as part of a broader case accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza war.

South Africa has asked the court to order a halt to Israel’s Rafah offensive and withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip.

WHAT IS THE ICJ?

The ICJ, also called the World Court, is the highest United Nations legal body, established in 1945 to deal with disputes between states. It should not be confused with the treaty-based International Criminal Court, also in The Hague, which handles war crimes cases against individuals.

The ICJ’s 15-judge panel – which is expanded by an additional judge of Israel’s choosing in this case because there is already a South African judge – deals with border disputes and increasingly cases brought by states accusing others of breaking U.N. treaty obligations.
South Africa and Israel are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention giving the ICJ jurisdiction to rule on disputes over the treaty. While the case revolves around the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, Palestinians have no official role in the proceedings.

All states that signed the Genocide Convention are obliged to not commit genocide, and to prevent and punish it. The treaty defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.

WHAT IS SOUTH AFRICA’S CASE?

The 84-page initial filing, brought by South Africa three months into the war, says that by killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious mental and bodily harm and creating conditions on life “calculated to bring about their physical destruction”, Israel is committing genocide against them.

WHAT IS ISRAEL’S RESPONSE?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the genocide accusations as outrageous. Israel says it does what it can to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza and accuses Hamas of using Palestinians as human shields, an accusation Hamas denies.

Israel says it must have the right to defend itself after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
In counter arguments on May 17, Israel said South Africa’s application “makes a mockery of the Genocide Convention” and asked the court to throw out the request.

WHAT HAS THE ICJ RULED IN THE CASE SO FAR?

After a first round of hearings on emergency measures in January, the court found it was plausible Israel violated some rights guaranteed to Palestinians in Gaza under the Genocide Convention.

Judges ordered Israel to refrain from acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians.

Under the Genocide Convention, acts of genocide include killing members of a group, causing them serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the group in whole or in part.

Judges also ordered Israel to take action to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In March, the court issued further emergency measures and ordered Israel to take all the necessary and effective action to ensure basic food supplies for Palestinians in Gaza.

On May 24, the court will issue a ruling on the latest request for an immediate intervention, or emergency measures, requested by South Africa, not the broader genocide case itself. That decision could take years.

The ICJ’s rulings are final and without appeal, but the ICJ has no way of enforcing them. A ruling against Israel could hurt the country’s international reputation and set a legal precedent.