Since the beginning of the month, Israeli forces have been carrying out attacks on Rafah, resulting in the displacement of over 1.5 million Palestinians who had sought refuge in the city. This ongoing violence has forced many individuals to flee their homes once again. Israel claims that its military operation is limited in scope and is focused on targeting Hamas militants in Rafah. However, South Africa continues to label Israel’s actions as genocidal.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued some provisional measures in response to South Africa’s case against Israel, which was filed in January. Despite these measures, Israel has largely ignored the court’s orders. The question remains whether the ICJ has the power to enforce its decisions and whether these rulings will have any significant impact beyond shaping international public opinion.
To gain insights into the legal and political implications of this conflict between Israel and South Africa, we invited Toby Cadman, an international human rights lawyer, Nour Odeh, a political analyst, and Robbie Sabel, a professor of international law at Hebrew University to our program. They shed light on the complexities of the situation in Gaza and the role of international institutions in addressing it.
Toby Cadman highlighted that Israeli forces have been attacking Rafah since early July 2014 with no end in sight. The displacement of over 1.5 million Palestinians is a clear violation of their basic human rights and must be addressed urgently by all nations involved.
Nour Odeh emphasized that Israel’s actions against Palestinians are not only a violation of their human rights but also an attack on their dignity as individuals and as a people. She pointed out that Israeli forces have been using excessive force against Palestinians for years without any consequences.
Robbie Sabel argued that while international institutions like the ICJ can play a significant role in holding Israel accountable for its actions against Palestinians, ultimately it is up to nations to take action themselves. He urged governments around the world to put pressure on Israel to stop its violent campaigns against Palestine.
Overall, this conflict between Israel and South Africa highlights how complex and difficult it can be for nations to address issues related to human rights violations across borders. It also shows how important it is for international institutions like the ICJ to play a role in holding countries accountable for their actions but ultimately it falls on individual nations
