South Africa Applies to ICJ for Emergency Measures against Genocide

Given the extreme danger for the survival of the Palestinian population, South Africa filed on May 10 a new request for emergency measures with the UN’s International Court of Justice at The Hague. It asks the court to order Israel to “cease its military offensive” in Rafah and to allow delivery of humanitarian aid as well as “unimpeded access” for United Nations personnel to assist the population. As a result of the application originally filed by South Africa, which was very well documented, the ICJ ordered Israel on Jan. 26 to take provisional measures to protect the Palestinians from genocide. Such measures have manifestly not been taken, on the contrary.

Since then, Colombia has asked the ICJ to allow it to join the case brought by South Africa, and both Türkiye and Egypt have announced their intention to do the same, while Libya filed a separate legal action in support of the South African filing.