ICJ will deliver a ruling Friday on genocide case against Israel

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 11: Public hearings in South Africa's genocide case against Israel began on Thursday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands on January 11, 2024. On the first day of the trial, South Africa will be presenting hard evidence in the case it filed on Dec. 29, accusing Israel of genocide and violation of the UN Genocide Convention with its actions in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7. The South African side will be requesting an injunction by the top UN court to halt Israel's military assault on Gaza, which has dragged on for more than three months, with the death toll rising to over 23,300. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The International Court of Justice will deliver its ruling Friday on whether to enact provisional measures to temporarily suspend Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the ICJ said in a news release.

South Africa filed the case against Israel at the ICJ, claiming it is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and failing to prevent and punish genocide in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

Israel has rejected the accusations, calling them “false” and “grossly distorted.”

South Africa has asked the court, which is the main legal arm of the United Nations, to enforce “provisional measures” to protect the rights of Palestinians in Gaza “from imminent and irreparable loss.”

The measures would function as a kind of restraining order to stop the dispute from escalating while the full case progresses through the court, which could take years. And while the court’s rulings are final and binding, in practice it has no way of enforcing them.