ICJ to Hold Hearings on South Africa’s Request

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold public hearings on May 16–17 in reaction to South Africa’s urgent appeal for more action in light of the continuous Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and Rafah. The South African delegation will be heard by the UN’s main judicial body, which has its headquarters in The Hague, on Thursday; the Israeli side will be heard on Friday.

Citing the worsening conditions in Gaza, especially in Rafah where a sizable population is seeking safety from the fighting, South Africa submitted the urgent appeal with the International Court of Justice on May 10. The Israeli army’s recent invasion into the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which essentially closed off Gazan Palestinians‘ access to the outside world, made the ICJ admit that the earlier temporary remedies were insufficient in addressing the changing circumstances.

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The serious scenario made South Africa stress how urgently further steps must be taken to lessen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The nation underlined how seriously the continuous attack on Rafah puts vital supplies, medical services, and the very existence of Palestinians in Gaza at danger.

Following its earlier action in late 2023, when it accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice. A January interim verdict found it “plausible” that Israel was carrying out genocide in the enclave and mandated Tel Aviv to stop doing so and guarantee that Gaza’s people received humanitarian aid.

With almost 35,100 Palestinian deaths—mostly of women and children—and over 79,000 injuries since Israel’s invasion began, the cost of the war is astounding. The UN reports that the protracted warfare have left large sections of Gaza in ruins and caused 85% of the enclave’s inhabitants to be internally displaced while there is a harsh blockade on basic supplies including food, water, and medication.