# Top UN court orders Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza but stops short of ordering cease-fire
The United Nations’ highest court has directed Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent death, destruction, and any acts of genocide in Gaza. However, the court did not order an end to the military offensive in the Palestinian enclave.
The ruling delivers a strong reprimand of Israel’s wartime conduct, increasing international pressure to halt the nearly 4-month-old offensive that has resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians and the displacement of nearly 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the court’s willingness to discuss genocide charges was a “mark of shame that will not be erased for generations” and affirmed the country’s commitment to continue the war. The court’s orders, particularly those related to preventing genocide, providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and punishing incitement to genocide, are legally binding and necessitate Israel to submit a report on steps taken within a month.
The decision was an interim ruling, and it may take years for the court to fully consider South Africa’s genocide allegations. The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a meeting to follow up on the ruling.
Both Palestinians and their supporters and the South African government have welcomed the court’s decision as a crucial step toward holding Israel accountable. In contrast, the U.S. reiterated its position that Israel must “take all possible steps” to minimize harm to civilians and increase humanitarian aid. Israel, typically reluctant to engage with international tribunals and U.N. investigations, sent a high-level legal team, signaling the seriousness with which it regards the case.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza has reported that about two-thirds of those killed in the conflict were women and children, while the Israeli military claims that at least 9,000 of the more than 26,000 dead were Hamas militants. The court’s decision, which did not include a cease-fire order, has been received with some relief in Israel, helping the country avoid a collision with a top U.N. body.
