In a landmark ruling at The Hague, judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have unanimously ordered Israel to take immediate and effective action to guarantee the delivery of basic food supplies to the beleaguered Palestinian population in Gaza.
The ICJ issued its order on Thursday, citing the deteriorating conditions of life in Gaza, where famine and starvation are rapidly spreading as a result of the stifling Israeli blockade.
The judges emphasised that Palestinians in Gaza are no longer merely at risk of famine but are already experiencing its dire consequences.
According to the ICJ order, at least 31 individuals, including 27 children, have tragically succumbed to malnutrition and dehydration, as reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The court’s legally binding directive instructs Israel to undertake ‘all necessary and effective measures’ to ensure the unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, fuel, and medical supplies.
This action is to be carried out in full cooperation with the United Nations.
Despite its authority, the ICJ lacks a mechanism to enforce its rulings.
These new measures stem from a request made by South Africa, which is pursuing a case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
In January, the ICJ had already ordered Israel to refrain from any actions that could constitute genocide under the Genocide Convention and to ensure that its troops do not commit genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.
In Thursday’s ruling, the court reiterated the January measures and added a directive for Israel to facilitate the unimpeded provision of basic services and humanitarian aid to Palestinians across Gaza.
The judges suggested increasing the capacity and number of land crossing points and keeping them open for as long as necessary.
Furthermore, Israel has been instructed to submit a report within a month outlining the steps taken to implement the court’s ruling.
On December 29, 2023, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel, the occupying power, over its involvement in ‘acts of genocide’ against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
This lawsuit garnered support from dozens of countries, marking a historic precedent in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
South Africa presented a comprehensive 84-page dossier to the court, compiling evidence of Israel’s killing of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and creating conditions ‘conducive to their physical destruction,’ constituting the crime of ‘genocide’ against them.
The court held public hearings on the case on January 11th and 12th, before issuing interim orders on January 26th.
However, it may take years for a final judgment in the case.
Despite Israel’s failure to comply with the court’s orders, which are binding on member states, and its continued massacres in the Gaza Strip, this international and diplomatic momentum further isolates the Israeli occupation.
‘No Zionist embassy on Jordanian land!’ – chant thousands of demonstrators
Thousands of protesters have rallied in Jordan and Morocco in solidarity with the Palestinians, who have been subjected to a genocidal Israeli war for nearly six months, calling for severing ties with the occupying regime.
Protesters rallied near the Israeli embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman on Thursday for the fifth consecutive day, carrying Palestinian flags and placards reading ‘Amman-Gaza one destiny’.
Chanting ‘No Zionist embassy on Jordanian land’, the demonstrators called on their government to close the Israeli embassy and cancel the 1994 so-called peace treaty that normalised ties with Tel Aviv.
They also expressed their support for the Palestinian resistance and chanted slogans against Israel and the US.
The protest took place amid a high-security presence that was aimed at curbing the number of protesters.
Dozens of Jordanians were arrested in previous days, trying to reach the Israeli embassy as others were beaten.
While the embassy is currently without a diplomatic mission after Israel’s ambassador left Amman in October and Jordan recalled its ambassador in November in protest at the war on Gaza, protesters have said that the embassy has partially resumed operations.
‘Our demands include the complete closure of the Israeli embassy. We have heard that the embassy has partially resumed operations. Additionally, we call for the cessation of the land bridge,’ Mohammed al-Abssi told Middle East Eye.
He was referring to reports that the Persian Gulf Arab countries are trucking products to Israel via Jordan to avoid Yemen’s pro-Palestine attacks that target Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea.
Mohammed was one of thousands of Jordanians who have been surrounding the Israeli embassy in Amman for the past few days.
A member of the Ataharrak movement against normalisation with Israel, he said the siege of the embassy is part of the angry protests that erupted after the onset of the war in October.
‘The siege of the embassy has intensified in response to the blockade of the Shifa complex and al-Aqsa Mosque,’ he added.
Israel has been attacking and laying siege to al-Shifa medical complex since March 18, and imposed tightened restrictions on Palestinian worshippers’ access to al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Jordanians have rallied near the Israeli embassy in Amman, calling on the government to cancel its peace treaty with Israel over the Gaza war.
Khaled al-Juhani, a member of the National Forum Supporting Resistance, said that even though the Israeli embassy was closed, ‘this movement still sees it as a symbol of normalisation despite the ongoing genocide’.
‘The Jordanian people categorically reject normalisation and embrace resistance as an option,’ he said.
‘Today, it is the duty of the Jordanian authorities to begin thinking and acting in a manner that aligns with the aspirations of its people and reconciles with their will.’
In Morocco, people took to the streets of Casablanca, Meknes, and other cities on Thursday, waving Palestinian flags and decrying Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.
They urged an immediate ceasefire as per the UN Security Council resolution adopted earlier this week, and reiterated the demand to cut ties with the Israeli regime.
Morocco, along with the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan, signed US-brokered normalisation agreements with the Israeli regime in 2020, drawing condemnations from Palestinians who slammed the deals as ‘a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.’
Tunisia also saw similar protests in solidarity with Palestinians, with hundreds marching in Sfax and calling for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza.