Sudáfrica, which received on February 26 the report from Israel about the alleged measures taken to comply with the International Court of Justice orders issued on January 26, submitted on March 6 a request for new urgent measures. The request calls for an immediate cessation of all hostilities in Gaza and argues that the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to honor the obligations intended to prevent possible genocide. South Africa seeks these precautionary measures as the famine situation worsens and is taking a toll on the lives of infants and children. The government is not seeking a formal hearing as a prerequisite to these measures, though it will not oppose one if the ICJ directs a hearing.
Israel is accused of carrying out actions that, according to the filing, amount to mass starvation of Palestinians seeking food for their children during a slow death process. The document describes actions labeled as a massacre of the flour on February 29, 2024, in which 118 Palestinians were killed and 760 wounded, and argues these events violate the genocide obligations established by the ICJ on January 26.
The first urgent measure urged by the filing asks the ICJ, unlike the January ruling, to order all participants in the conflict to immediately halt hostilities and to free all hostages and detainees without delay. It also insists that all parties bound by the Genocide Convention refrain from any action that could escalate violence, and, in particular, from any armed action.
The essence of the proposal is that Israel should take immediate and effective steps to ensure the delivery of essential services and humanitarian aid that are urgently needed to confront famine and the dire living conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza. The plan calls for: 1) an immediate suspension of military operations in Gaza; 2) the lifting of the Gaza blockade; 3) the nullification of all other measures and practices that directly or indirectly hinder Gaza residents from accessing humanitarian aid and basic services; and 4) guaranteeing the provision of food, water, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and sanitation, along with medical supplies and medical support.
The application concludes with a stark reminder to the ICJ that South Africa fears this filing could mark the last opportunity for the court to save the Palestinian population in Gaza, who are now facing hunger and a looming famine.