The International Court of Justice on Friday ruled that Israel must take immediate action to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza as it continues to wage war against the militant group Hamas. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting since Israel began its retaliation against the terrorist group for its attacks on Oct. 7, which killed roughly 1,200 Israelis.
The ruling does not mark the end of the case, in which South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. But the court has now made clear it believes it is plausible that acts of genocide have been committed.
Israel has argued that its actions have been made in self-defense and are allowed under international law, but the ruling undermines that position and is likely to increase political pressure for Israel to rein in its assault and to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In an interview with NJ Spotlight News, Kenneth Roth, the Charles & Marie Robertson Visiting Professor at Princeton University’s School for Public & International Affairs and the former executive director of Human Right Watch, discusses the court’s ruling.
