After South Africa accused Israel’s military of committing genocide in Gaza last month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) mandated that Israel take all reasonable steps to prevent the deaths of Palestinian civilians.
South Africa has requested a follow-up after Israel’s soldiers have threatened to invade Rafah, in southern Gaza, where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled.
Watch live: nuclear power plant arrest by IS
According to a statement sent by the South African presidency, “the South African government said it was gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah… has already led to and will result in further large-scale killing.”
The court has acknowledged the Palestinian people’s right to be shielded from acts of genocide, but it has not yet made a decision on the central question of South Africa’s case—namely, whether or not genocide has taken place in Gaza.
In the past, when the situation changed on the ground, the ICJ occasionally approved extra emergency measures.
Large portions of Gaza have been destroyed, about 80% of the population has been forced to flee, and a humanitarian crisis is driving more than 25% of Palestinians to hunger.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has promised to keep going until there is “total victory” and has maintained that military action will rescue the other hostages that Hamas took during their attack on October 7.
