The International Court of Justice has ruled against Israel's actions in Gaza [1, 5, 11]. The Republic of South Africa brought the case [2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 27, 28, 29], arguing that systematic destruction of Gaza's population — through mass killing, deliberate starvation, and the obliteration of civilian infrastructure — violates the Genocide Convention. The court ordered Israel to prevent genocide, halt attacks on Rafah, and allow humanitarian aid [3, 4]. Within 48 hours, the BBC reports [16], Israel launched over 60 air raids on Rafah. Reuters notes [19] the World Court ordered Israel to stop the Gaza famine; the order has not been obeyed.
This is not surprising. The ICJ has no enforcement mechanism. Its rulings carry moral and legal weight, but states comply only when it suits them — or when other powers compel them to. Israel's government rejected South Africa's case as "baseless" and accused the court of antisemitism [2, 4, 7]. That response tells you everything about how seriously Jerusalem takes The Hague's authority. As of August 2024, the BBC reports [3, 4], only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals remain operational, and 84% of the region's medical centres have been destroyed or damaged. Over 500 healthcare workers have been killed [2, 4]. Israel has destroyed all 12 university facilities in Gaza, 80% of schools, and numerous mosques, churches, museums, and libraries [3, 4]. These are not the actions of a state concerned with international legal censure.