International Relations Committee chairperson welcomes ICJ order on Israel

25 May 2024

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, joins peace loving people in the world in welcoming the order handed down by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) yesterday ordering Israel, in conformity with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and in view of the worsening conditions of life faced by civilians in Rafah, to immediately halt its military operation.
 
The ICJ ordered, among other things, Israel to maintain open the Rafah crossing for unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance and to take effective measures to ensure the unimpeded access to the Gaza Strip of any commission of inquiry, fact-finding mission or other investigative body mandated by competent organs of the United Nations to investigate allegations of genocide.
 
Mr Mahumapelo said the committee welcomes the order of the ICJ aimed at saving ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are now facing seventh month of suffering through collective  punishment for something for which they have no individual responsibility.
He said the ruling is made when at least 35,709 Palestinians had been killed and continue to die of starvation, many of them children, and hundreds of thousands are at imminent threat of death because a deliberate decision has been taken by Israel to starve Palestinians by denying them food. 
 
At least 80,000 Palestinians have been injured and 1.7 million displaced, often multiple times, with 900,000 displaced in the last two weeks alone. The Court, whose powers are tied to the provisions of the Genocide Convention and cannot be exercised against “mere” war crimes or human rights violations, has done what it considers it can do to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people in Gaza as a group and their protection from further harm. 
 
“As we commemorate Africa Day today the committee calls on all state parties to observe the prescripts of international law, which obliged them to reconsider their relations with Israel following the Court findings. Under international law, Israel is obliged to implement the Court’s Order, as well as the previous orders of 26 January (as reaffirmed by the Court on 16 February) and 28 March, said Mr Mahumapelo.

Issued by Mava Lukani, Media Officer, Parliamentary Communication Services, 25 May 2024