A 15-judge panel found Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories in violation of international law and that it had no sovereignty in the territories. Israel responded to the verdict by saying it was "fundamentally wrong" and the "Jewish nation could not be an occupier in its own land".
The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its Rafah offensive in the wake of widespread destruction, although Israel was expected to ignore it. Israeli PM Netanyahu called the order "false, outrageous and morally repugnant" and insisted that Israel was defending its citizens.
The International Court of Justice also ordered Israel to open the Rafah crossing to let the humanitarian aid in through Egypt. The order was adopted by a 15 international judges bench with a majority of 13-2. The only two judges who opposed the order were from Uganda and Israel itself.
Israel's response was heard at the top court after South Africa requested it to order a halt in the devastating military offensive in Gaza to protect Palestinians sheltering in Rafah. Israel argued that it has done all it can to protect the lives of civilians by allowing humanitarian aid.
The case by South Africa comes amid international alarm over Israel's military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians have taken refuge. Earlier this year, the ICJ ordered Israel to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.
The legally binding final ruling was the first of two expected decisions from the International Court of Justice linked to the decade-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine that exploded into an all-out war almost two years ago.
Although the verdict stopped short of a desperately-needed ceasefire for Palestinians, it represented a legal setback for Israel, and was a major diplomatic win for South Africa. Israel's military operations have killed over 26,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
South Africa said that Israel's military operations are aimed at bringing about the "destruction of Gaza's population", citing the deaths of 23,000 Palestinians in the three-month-long war. Israel has vehemently denied the accusations and accused South Africa of supporting Hamas.
In a show of how seriously it takes the case, Israel is sending a strong legal team to the ICJ to defend its military operation that came after the October 7 attacks. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the attacks as "hypocrisy and lies" while accusing South Africa of supporting Hamas.
The top UN court on Thursday will hear South Africa's case accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention during its operations in Gaza. Israel has denied the claims despite a soaring death count of 23,200 Palestinians.
South Africa's filing alleged that Israel was violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its devastating military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Israel rejected the application "with disgust" and accused South Africa of cooperating with Hamas.
Meanwhile, reacting to the major development, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, applauded the ICC step and accused President Putin of committing war crimes against children.
Pakistan on Wednesday during a joint sitting session of Parliament passed a bill to give Kulbhushan Jadhav the right to appeal as per the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Kulbhushan Jadhav will now be able to appeal against conviction in a Pakistan court as Islamabad has approved International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordinance 2020.
Three convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case have approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking a stay on the execution of their death sentence. The three convicts are Akshay, Pawan, and Vinay.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has delivered the verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav case in India's favour. The court asked Pakistan to review the death sentence awarded to Jadhav on charges of espionage and conspiracy against Pakistan. The ICJ also said that that Pakistan breached the obligations under the Vienna Convention by not informing Jadhav of his rights. For those knowing little about Kulbhushan Jadhav and the contentious case at the ICJ, here's a cheatsheet:
Kulbhushan Jadhav Case: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has granted consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. ICJ has ruled in favour of India on merits, affirming Jadhav's right to consular access and notification. Read full court judgement.
Kulbhushan Jadhav, the 49-year old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. India moved the ICJ in May 8, 2017 for the "egregious violation" of the provisions of the Vienna Convention by Pakistan by repeatedly denying New Delhi consular access to Jadhav.
The Kulbhushan Jadhav case is the fourth time the International Court of Justice would be adjudicating a case involving India and Pakistan. In the three previous cases, the ICJ has been careful in not passing judgments that could be seen as one-sided.
International Court of Justice (ICJ) to pronounce verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case today
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