Israel’s genocide in Gaza: Whatever happened to South Africa’s case at the ICJ?

In December 2023, South Africa accused Israel of genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on Gaza.

The subsequent hearing, a couple of weeks later, drew huge attention as Israel’s war was formally challenged on the world stage for the first time since the start of the current war.

But almost two years later, the ICJ, the world's highest court, is still hearing the case, with no judgement likely any time soon.

At the time of the hearing, the death toll in Gaza was just under 24,000, according to the Gaza health ministry. Since then, it has more than doubled: at least 66,000 Palestinians have now been killed since Israel declared war two years ago on 7 October 2023.

In July this year, the ICJ extended by six months the deadline for Israel to deliver its counter-arguments to South Africa’s allegations under the Genocide Convention, prompting fears the case would be delayed. 

Meanwhile, this week, a UN commission of inquiry released what many say is the most significant report on Israel’s war to date, concluding that it has committed genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

Read more: Israel’s genocide in Gaza: Whatever happened to South Africa’s case at the ICJ?