ICJ Orders Israel to Limit Gaza Deaths, Stops Short of Calling for Ceasefire

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ordered Israel to prevent possible acts of genocide by its forces in Gaza but declined to call for a ceasefire. 

The Ruling: Finding some of the genocide claims against Israel to be “plausible,” the ICJ ordered Israel to “ensure with immediate effect that its military does not commit any acts” that could violate the United Nations’ Genocide Convention. ICJ judges said their interim order was necessary because “the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is at serious risk of deteriorating further before the court renders its final judgement.”

Global Reactions: South Africa’s government called the ruling “a decisive victory for international rule of law.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed Israel’s “unwavering” commitment to both international law and the defense of the Israeli people, but said the “vile attempt to deny Israel” the right to defend itself “is blatant discrimination against the Jewish state.” 

For Context: South Africa brought the case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza in early January. Deaths reported by the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry topped 26,000 on Friday — over 1% of Gaza’s pre-war population. 

How the Media Covered It: Some left-leaning regional outlets sympathetic to Palestinians, like Al Jazeera (Lean Left bias) and Haaretz (Lean Left bias), had live coverage of the ICJ’s order. Right-rated outlets were more likely to note that the order was issued on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. While most coverage quoted Israel’s response, right-rated outlets appeared less likely to quote Palestinian reactions.