South African media report that the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ) is set to issue an interim decision on South Africa's claim against Israel this Friday, January 26.
South Africa is demanding, as an interim measure, that the court order an immediate cease of hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
The ICJ judges can either accept South Africa's position or make their own decision. Nevertheless, the ICJ lacks the means to compel Israel to comply with this decision.
The court's verdict may be presented to the UN Security Council, where a draft resolution to end the war in Gaza may be proposed, but it is assumed that if this occurs, the United States will veto the resolution.
In its lawsuit, South Africa accuses Israel of genocide of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. Hearings on this claim commenced in The Hague on January 11. Once the court decides on interim measures, the process will continue. The proceedings are anticipated to be lengthy, and a final decision is expected to take several years.
