South Africa charges Israel with defying ICJ’s binding genocide orders

South Africa has accused Israel of disregarding three legally binding orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), aimed at safeguarding Palestinians in Gaza. The ICJ ruled that Gaza's Palestinian population faces a grave risk of genocide, issuing three provisional measures against Israel in January, March, and May 2024.

These measures compel Israel to prevent actions prohibited under the Genocide Convention, preserve evidence, facilitate humanitarian aid, and allow UN investigators access to Gaza. However, South Africa claims Israel has persistently failed to comply, accelerating the destruction of an already devastated population. On August 25, South Africa submitted a comprehensive dossier to the ICJ detailing Israel's alleged non-compliance with these orders, under Article 11 of the ICJ’s rules on Internal Judicial Practice.

According to South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and 174,000 injured in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with 46,000 survivors suffering severe injuries. The humanitarian situation has worsened even after a ceasefire was announced, with one Palestinian child killed daily by the Israeli military and rates of miscarriage in Gaza increasing more than three-fold in 2026.

DIRCO warns that Israel's defiance of the ICJ's orders has led to the displacement of Palestinians, denial of basic services, arbitrary detention, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence in Israeli prisons and detention centers. Israel has denied the genocide allegations, stating its military actions are self-defense following the 2023 attacks.

However, South Africa's International Relations Minister, Ronald Lamola, affirmed that Pretoria remains committed to pursuing the case through to its conclusion, emphasizing the importance of international law and multilateral institutions.