African Union Embraces ICJ Order, Urges Israel to Comply
The chair of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said in a statement Saturday that the continental body welcomed the ICJ's provisional measures, which were requested by South Africa in a case against Israel.
He said the ruling affirmed the respect for international law and the need for Israel to comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention.
The AU is a union of 55 African countries that promotes peace and cooperation on the continent.
South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the ICJ, the UN's highest court, on Dec. 29, arguing that the Israeli regime was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The case was heard earlier this month at The Hague, where the ICJ is based.
On Friday, the ICJ ruled that South Africa's claim was plausible and that it had jurisdiction to hear the case. The ICJ judge, Joan Donoghue, rejected Israel's argument that the court had no authority to deal with the matter.
Read More:
However, some human rights activists criticized the ruling as insufficient, as it did not explicitly charge Israel with genocide and did not order a full ceasefire in Gaza.
The ICJ also issued interim orders which included urging Israel to stop blocking aid deliveries into Gaza and to improve the humanitarian situation in the besieged strip where more than 26,250 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since October 7.
Source: Agencies
