UN Security Council to discuss Gaza after ICJ order

CAPE TOWN - The United Nations (UN) Security Council will meet in New York on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Gaza as pressure mounts to ensure Israel complies with Friday’s International Court of Justice order to temper its military operations and stop the killing of Palestinians.

While the world’s highest court did not explicitly order a ceasefire in the occupied territory - Israel has been compelled to stop harming civilians who have borne the brunt of its three-month-long military offensive.

South Africa’s former ambassador to the UN Nozipho Mxakato-Diseko says she expects powerful nations will seek to minimise the impact of the ruling at Wednesday's meeting.

Algeria, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and the only country representing the Arab world has called for Wednesday’s urgent discussion of the court’s ruling against Israel.

Mxakato-Diseko says the council can’t apply double standards after adopting a resolution against violence in Myanmar - which is also under investigation for genocidal acts.

"Allies of the United States will seek to minimise but they cannot run away from the fact that the court has said there’s a prima facie case to answer on this basis of this convention."

She added that the United States would continue to lose moral credibility if it again vetoes calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"The standing of the West is on shaky ground in global politics in terms of what it used to think is its moral authority to tell others what to do."

Meanwhile, the UN says Israel is continuing to issue new evacuation orders for Gaza.