US, South Africa discuss Gaza war as Israel braces for World Court ruling on 'genocide' case

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, on Thursday (Jan 25) about the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel is bracing for a ruling by the United Nations judges at the World Court who are set to decide whether to order Israel to suspend its military campaign in Gaza.

What did US and South Africa discuss?

During the call on Thursday, Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s support for “Israel’s right to ensure the terrorist attacks of October 7 can never be repeated,” said the US State Departmentin a statement.

Washington’s top diplomat and South Africa’s foreign minister also discussed the need to protect civilian lives in Gaza, and ensure regional peace that “advances the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” said the State Department.

Blinken and Pandor also reaffirmed bilateral ties between the two countries.

WATCH |Israel-Hamas War: ICJ to rule genocide case against Israel

Notably, the conversation took place as the International Court of Justice (ICJ),on Friday (Jan 26), delivers a landmark ruling in a case against Israel over alleged genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Israel braces for ICJ ruling

The UN judges will rule on South Africa’s request for emergency measures against Israel after accusing it of state-led genocide for its military operation in Gaza.

Israel has since rejected the accusations bySouth Africa and said it has a right to defend itself after Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel where around 1,200 people were killed and 240 others were taken as hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

Pretoria has sought an immediate halt to Israel’s military operation which has killed nearly 26,000 people in the Palestinian enclave, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

South Africa has requested nine emergency measures, which act like a restraining order against Israel while the court will proceed with hearing the rest of the case, which could go on for years.

Therefore, the judgement on Friday will be an initial one at best and does not necessarily mean that Israel is being convicted based on the accusations of genocide. The court is also not bound to act on measures sought by South Africa and can order its own.

“South Africa does not need to prove that Israel is committing genocide,” Juliette McIntyre, an international law expert told AFP. She added, “They simply need to establish that there is a plausible risk of genocide occurring.”

According to experts, if the court decides there is a risk of genocide in Gaza, it could still have a ripple effect, particularly on the nations which support Israel politically or militarily.

Situation on the ground

As the world waits with bated breath for ICJ’s ruling, which could potentially see a halt in the months-long war, media reports citing sources have said diplomatic efforts to bring about a break in the conflict are underway.

A report by Reuters citing sources said US and Israeli intelligence chiefs were due to meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Europe this weekend, and Egypt’s intelligence chief would also participate.

Officials in Gaza, on Thursday, said Israeli strikes killed 20 Palestinians queuing for food aid in Gaza City. Additionally, strikes in central Gaza’s Al-Nusseirat refugee camp killed six and at least 50 people lost their lives in the last 24 hours in Gaza’s main southern city Khan Younis.

Meanwhile, in Israel, protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue as families and supporters of the more than 100 remaining Israeli hostages took to the streets demanding that the government strike a deal to secure their release.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.