Currently Online 
ICJ hearing a chance to ‘put real pressure on Israel’
Hassan Barari, a professor of International Affairs at Qatar University, says today’s hearing at the International Court of Justice is a continuation of South Africa’s effort that began late last year when it went to the court accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention during its war on Gaza.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Barari said the new request for additional provisional measures also provides “much evidence” for international powers to step in and “put real pressure on Israel”.
“When I say ‘real pressure’ I’m saying [placing] a price tag, because if you keep saying that ‘Israel should do this’ or ‘Israel should not do that’, the Israelis would listen to that but then they would continue business as usual. But when you place a price tag, Israel would rethink its position,” he added.
Barari concluded that the hearing is “very important” but also noted: “The question whether it’s going to being an end to the war, I think, this is maybe far-fetched.”
‘We cannot leave case halfway,’ says South African minister on new ICJ appeal
South Africa’s minister of social development says the country is returning to the ICJ, where it will today request additional measures to end Israel’s Rafah invasion because it cannot leave its job undone as Israeli attacks intensify in the enclave’s last refuge.
South Africa went to the ICJ in January to try to “halt this genocide, but unfortunately, this has not happened”, Lindiwe Zulu told Al Jazeera.
“There’s been absolutely no respect for the action that we took … no respect for the ICJ,” she said, adding that Israel has only “escalated” its attacks on Gaza since the court’s ruling in January. “We believe we cannot leave it halfway.”
Zulu said South Africa’s latest appeal calls for Israel to urgently halt its attacks in Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians reside, and ensure civilians receive aid.
Beyond that, the case is meant to add momentum to the global pro-Palestinian solidarity movement, boosted by student protesters, and press the international community to take further action.
