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The International Court of Justice has rejected calls for the dismissal of a genocide accusation levelled against Israel. Judges at The Hague delivered their interim verdict in a case filed by South Africa amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The ICJ also said it had taken comments made by Israeli defense minister about 'human animals' in Gaza into account.
"The court is acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy that is unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering,” said ICJ President Joan E Donoghue.
The court urged Israel to 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”. It however stopped short of ordering a ceasefire in the matter.
Verdicts laid out by the International Court of Justice are legally binding. However the UN body has no mechanism to enforce its decisions. In some cases — such as its order for Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine — have been completely ignored.
It is pertinent to note that the ICJ has not yet considered whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. While it warned Israel to "take all measures in its power to prevent" acts that could fall under the UN Genocide Convention, a full verdict could take years.
South Africa has accused Israel of breaching the UN Genocide Convention amid its ongoing war in Gaza. The African nation contended that Tel Aviv had indulged in "genocidal" acts that were intended to cause the “destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group”. It urged the court to order Israel to "immediately suspend" its military operations in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to reach civiilians. Meanwhile officials representing Israel have dismissed the case as a “grossly distorted story”.
(With inputs from agencies)
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