So, a couple of caveats and quotations from the above article:
South Africa is filing the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), not the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICJ is the top court of the United Nations. (and we all know how the UN has handled this genocide so far.)
“The case is likely to take years to reach a final judgment. But the court will likely rule within weeks on Pretoria’s request for interim orders known as provisional measures, including that Israel “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza” and “take all reasonable measures” to prevent genocide. The provisional measures orders are considered binding but not always followed” (emphasis mine).
“Israel rarely cooperates in international court cases against it, dismissing the United Nations and international tribunals as unfair and biased. Its decision to respond to the charge signals that the government is concerned about the potential damage to its reputation” (emphasis mine).
“Israel’s decision to defend itself means it can use the courtroom to present legal arguments justifying its actions in Gaza. But the move could also leave the country open to more international condemnation if it ultimately loses the case and is found to have breached the genocide convention” (emphasis mine).
“It’s unclear what concrete effects an ICJ ruling against Israel would have, but it would likely isolate the country politically and economically.”
