ICJ Contentious Case South Africa v. Israel

South Africa instituted proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 December 2023, claiming that Israel has been acting in breach of its obligations pursuant to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention), and made a first request for provisional measures. Following public hearings, the Court rendered an order for the indication of provisional measures on 26 January 2024.

This Q&A focuses on the Court’s mandate to adjudicate contentious cases, and in particular the proceedings instituted by South Africa against Israel.

All publications on the South Africa v. Israel case are listed here, and a research page on legal proceedings relating to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) can be found here. All materials relevant to the 2023-2024 hostilities in Israel and Gaza are available on this page. 

The Diakonia IHL Centre separately published a Q&A on the advisory proceedings before the ICJ and the ICC investigation into the Situation in Palestine, which can be accessed here and here, respectively.  

Cover photo: The Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands), seat of the International Court of Justice. Jeroen Bouman - Courtesy of the ICJ. All rights reserved.