Top UN court to issue a preliminary ruling in South Africa's genocide case against Israel
CTV
Israel is set to hear Friday whether the United Nations’ top court will order it to end its military offensive in Gaza in a preliminary ruling while the panel hears a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.
Israel is set to hear Friday whether the United Nations’ top court will order it to end its military offensive in Gaza in a preliminary ruling while the panel hears a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.
The International Court of Justice's president, Joan E. Donoghue, will read out the highly anticipated decision taken by a panel of 17 judges.
The ruling comes at an early stage in South Africa's case alleging that Israel’s military action in its war with Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel vehemently rejects the accusation and has asked the court to throw out the case.
South Africa has asked the judges “as a matter of extreme urgency” to impose so-called provisional measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza while the case proceeds slowly through the court, a process likely to take years.
Top of the South African list is a request for the court to order Israel to “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza.”
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said Thursday that Israel expects the court to toss out the case.
“We expect the ICJ to throw out these spurious and specious charges,” he said.
