Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, welcomed the court's decision, noting that ordering an American judge to preside over the court was a sign of Israel's “isolation.” He is now calling on Israel to comply with the decision.
Court rejected Israel's theory
As expected, the court did not take into account the merits of the South African accusation, which points to the existence of genocide by Israeli actions against the Palestinian population. It could take months or even years for the judges to decide.
The conflict began on October 7 after Hamas launched an attack on Israeli civilians, killing more than 1,200 people. However, Israel's response has been denounced by international organizations for its brutality and ignoring of Palestinian civilians.
According to the court, Israel must take all measures to prevent military operations from posing an existential threat to the Palestinians. One of the judges in The Hague is the Brazilian Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant, who voted in favor of the precautionary measures.
Joan Donoghue, an American judge presiding over the court, read out the decision and said that “some acts denounced by the South Africans” may fall under the provisions of the Genocide Convention and therefore the court has jurisdiction to hear the case.