LAST UPDATE | 27 Jan
THE UN SECURITY Council will meet next week over the decision by the global body’s top court calling for Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza, the council’s presidency has announced.
The Wednesday meeting was called for by Algeria, whose ministry of foreign affairs said it would give “binding effect to the pronouncement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the provisional measures imposed on the Israeli occupation.”
The Court yesterday said Israel must do everything it can to “prevent the commission of all acts within the scope” of the Genocide Convention.
It said Israel must take “all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide”.
It also said that Israel must take “immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians”.
Additionally, the court ruled that Israel must try to limit death and damage in Gaza.
Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said that the ICJ decision “gives the clear message that in order to do all the things that they are asking for, you need a ceasefire for it to happen”.
“So fasten your seat belts,” he said, hinting that the Arab Group, represented on the council by Algeria, would push for one.
The Security Council, long divided on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, has only agreed to two resolutions since the 7 October Hamas attacks sparked the latest round of fighting.
In December, it demanded aid deliveries “at scale” to Gaza’s besieged population, while Israel’s ally the United States has kept out calls for a ceasefire despite international pressure.
The current fighting started with the unprecedented attack by Hamas that resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Militants also seized about 250 hostages and Israel says around 132 of them remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 dead captives.
Israel has vowed to crush Hamas and launched a military offensive that the health ministry in Gaza says has killed at least 26,083 people, about 70 percent of them women and children.
In reaction to the judgment the British government said it had “considerable concerns” about the ruling.
“We respect the role and independence of the ICJ. However… we have considerable concerns about this case, which is not helpful in the goal of achieving a sustainable ceasefire,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.
“Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas in line with IHL (international humanitarian law),” the spokesperson added.
“Our view is that Israel’s actions in Gaza cannot be described as genocide, which is why we thought South Africa’s decision to bring the case was wrong and provocative.”
Large crowds gathered outside Leinster House on Wednesday calling for the Irish government to publicly support South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
The government had said it was waiting until the case passed the preliminary stage before it showed support for it – a decision that sparked outrage among the public and the opposition.
With reporting by © AFP 2024
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