South Africa renews call for urgent action from world court to curb Israel’s actions in Gaza

South Africa has once again urged the United Nations’ top court to take emergency measures to restrain Israel, citing the ongoing military incursion in Rafah as a threat to the “very survival of Palestinians in Gaza.” This marks the fourth request for additional measures by South Africa, which filed a genocide case against Israel last year at the International Court of Justice.

According to the latest request, the previous preliminary orders issued by The Hague-based court were deemed insufficient to address what South Africa describes as a “brutal military attack on the sole remaining refuge for the people of Gaza.” Israel, on the other hand, argues that its actions in Gaza are a legitimate defense against Hamas militants who are accused of genocide.

South Africa is calling for Israel to withdraw from Rafah, ensure unimpeded access for U.N. officials, humanitarian organizations, and journalists to the Gaza Strip, and report back within a week on how it is meeting these demands. The situation escalated earlier this week when Israel issued a warning to evacuate an area of eastern Rafah where approximately 100,000 Palestinians have been seeking shelter.

The court also announced that Libya has requested to join the case in support of South Africa, joining Nicaragua and Colombia in their efforts. Separately, Nicaragua has brought a complaint against Germany for allegedly enabling genocide by supporting Israel with arms. The conflict, which began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel, has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians and has left Gaza in a state of devastation, with the U.N. warning of a “full-blown famine” in northern Gaza.