What Power Does World Court Have in Genocide Case Against Israel?

South Africa has said that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to intervene and stop Israeli military action in the region.

Israel issued its initial defense to South Africa's charges on January 12, 2024, at the ICJ - the United Nations' highest human rights court - based in The Hague, Netherlands. Israel argues that its military is trying to minimise civilian harm and that South Africa is trying to both weaponise the term genocide and interfere with Israel's right of self-defense against Hamas.

However, can the ICJ enforce any decision it makes in the case? "The question of the International Court of Justice's actual powers of enforcement is a key issue on many people's minds," said Victor Peskin, a scholar of international relations and human rights.

This article originally appeared on AllAfrica

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