The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest legal body of the United Nations, is set to announce its decision on Friday regarding whether it will enforce immediate measures against Israel over allegations of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. South Africa, which filed the case against Israel earlier this month, is asking the ICJ to mandate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The ruling this week is anticipated to address emergency actions against Israel, but is not expected to make a judgment on the overall genocide accusation. If the case proceeds, it could last for several years, as reported by the AP. Genocide involves the deliberate destruction of a specific group of people based on national, ethnic, racial, or religious grounds, either in part or as a whole. It can also encompass situations where a party imposes living conditions with the intent to bring about the destruction of the group, based on the Genocide Convention. Judicial bodies, including the ICJ, have previously established events to be genocides, such as the killings of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995. According to figures released by the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health on Wednesday, Israel has caused the deaths of 25,700 Palestinians since initiating the war in Gaza after being attacked by Hamas in October. As Israel enters a new phase of warfare, it has stated its intention to conduct more targeted operations in “terror hotspots” in Gaza. Despite asserting that its operations are solely aimed at Hamas, the Israeli military has not succeeded in minimizing civilian casualties, at times striking areas previously designated as safe for civilians. Since 2007, Israel has also imposed a blockade on Gaza via air, land, and sea. The Biden Administration has made efforts to recognize that Israel could take additional measures to avoid killing innocent civilians and at the same time has emphasized that Israel’s actions in Gaza do not amount to genocide. John Kirby, White House National Security Council coordinator, has previously called the accusation “groundless, unproductive, and completely lacking in factual basis.” “We believe that the accusation that Israel is committing genocide is unfounded,” stated Vedant Patel, deputy State Department spokesperson, to reporters earlier this week. Patel added, “Israel has a moral and strategic obligation to take further steps to minimize the impact on civilians. We have been unequivocal in stating that more action needs to be taken, and that the toll on Palestinian civilians and the lives lost so far are far too many.”
