The International Court of Justice in The Hague has rejected Israel's appeal against the accusations of "genocide" advanced by Sudrafica, regarding the Jewish state's offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The American judge presiding over the Court, Joan Donoghue, stated that "at least some acts seem capable of falling within the genocide convention" , therefore "the Court believes it cannot accept Israel's request to dismiss the case".
Furthermore, according to the International Court of Justice, there is "sufficient urgency to order provisional measures against Israel" and the Jewish State is ordered to "take all measures to prevent any act of genocide in Gaza".
Furthermore, Donoghue said, Israel must take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the living conditions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Court also called for the immediate and unconditional release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The resolution sparked an immediate reaction from Tel Aviv.
«The very claim that Israel is committing genocide on the Palestinian people is not only false but also outrageous . The Court's willingness to consider it is a mark of shame that will not be erased for generations ", thundered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , explaining that "Israel is fighting a just war against the monsters of Hamas and the Court rightly rejected the request to deprive us of the right to self-defense."
And Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called the Hague Court “anti-Semitic,” saying its decisions “demonstrate what has long been known: the court does not seek justice but only to persecute the Jewish people.”
The government of South Africa , however, is satisfied with the ruling, according to which «today marks a decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people. In a landmark ruling, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's actions in Gaza plausibly constitute genocide and indicated provisional measures on this basis. For the implementation of the international rule of law, the decision is epochal. South Africa thanks the Court for its swift decision."
«The Hague step is an important step that contributes to isolating Israel and exposing its crimes in Gaza» , was the comment of a Hamas spokesperson, quoted by the international media and echoed by the Israeli ones.
(Unioneonline/lf)