South Africa Urges Israel to Implement UN Court’s Ruling

South Africa on Wednesday urged Israel to implement the ruling handed down by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) condemning continued Israeli attacks on hospitals in Palestine.

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The decision by the ICJ affirms the importance of global governance institutions including organs of the United Nations (UN), and it remains vital for all member states to respect and implement the decisions of the court, said South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor.

During a news conference in the national capital of Pretoria, the foreign minister said that third states must also act independently and immediately to prevent genocide by Israel. They must ensure that no violation of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is committed by aiding or abetting the commission of genocide themselves, Pandor said. 

The foreign minister stressed that all states have "an obligation to stop financing and facilitating Israel's military actions, which are plausibly genocidal."

Condemning the continued Israeli attacks on hospitals in Palestine, Pandor noted that Tel Aviv's actions "go totally against the ICJ ruling." 

In this regard, the minister said that "if you destroy a hospital, you are saying that the wounded should not get help. That people who need medical treatment should not have it, so, in essence, you are sentencing people to death by virtue of your activities."

South Africa filed an application to the ICJ for proceedings against Israel on Dec. 29, 2023. Last week, the ICJ ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

Pretoria will continue to do everything in its power to end all acts of apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people and walk with them towards the realization of their collective right to self-determination, Pandor said. 

The minister further said that South Africa welcomes the support expressed by a number of countries and encourages states that wish to do so to approach the court to intervene in the process, in order to send a strong message to the international community.