Pandor says it's difficult to imagine how Israel will implement ICJ order without ceasefire

CAPE TOWN - International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor said it was difficult to imagine how Israel would implement the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) without a ceasefire.

While the court has not put an outright stop to Israel’s military operations in Gaza, it ordered the army not to cause further loss of life.

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Speaking after court proceedings in The Hague on Friday, Pandor called for the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas.

She said while she hoped for a complete stop to the war in Gaza, she was satisfied with the court’s directives.

In prefacing its order, the ICJ accepted that South Africa had the standing to bring this matter before the world’s highest court in terms of the Genocide Convention, and that the court has jurisdiction to hear the merits of this case.

Noting the comments made by senior Israeli government officials, including its president, ICJ President Joan Donoghue said they were enough to conclude it was plausible that genocidal acts were being committed in Gaza.

“This is the case with the rights of Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide and related prohibited acts identified in Article 3 and the right of South Africa to seek Israel’s compliance with the latter’s obligations under the convention.”

The court also agreed with South Africa that there’s a link between these plausible rights and the provisional measures it sought.

Israel will need to report back to the court within one month as to how it’s complying with the order to preserve life and bring aid to Gaza.