- What is the International Court of Justice?
The International Court of Justice is like the Supreme Court of the United Nations. It was created in 1945 and is based in The Hague. Its job is to settle disputes between countries and give advice. There are 15 judges on the court, and for the Israel case, they will have an extra judge from each side. These judges are chosen by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council and serve for 9 years.
- What is South Africa accusing Israel of?
South Africa is accusing Israel of committing genocide during its war on Gaza. They say that Israel didn't do enough to stop the genocide and didn't punish the people who encouraged it. South Africa wants Israel to take temporary measures to prevent the situation from getting worse while the case is being decided.
- What does "genocide" mean?
Genocide is a very serious crime. It means doing something on purpose to destroy a whole or part of a specific group of people. This can include killing them, hurting them badly, making their living conditions terrible so they have to leave, stopping them from having children, or taking their children away and giving them to other groups.
- What did Israel say about the case?
As soon as South Africa filed the case, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the accusations were not true. He called them "baseless," which means they have no evidence to support them.
- How long will this case take?
The whole case will probably take many years. But South Africa might be able to get some temporary actions taken within a few weeks. They don't have to prove that genocide happened yet, just that the court has the power to decide on the case and that some of the things they mentioned could be considered genocide.
- Do other countries support South Africa's case?
Yes, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is made up of 57 countries, supports South Africa's request. Many of these countries are in Africa and have a lot of Muslims, like Turkey and Malaysia. They also made their own statements supporting South Africa.
- What will the court's decision mean?
The court's decision is final and can't be changed. But the court doesn't have the power to make countries do what it says. It's not clear if Israel will follow the court's decision. However, if the court rules against Israel, it could damage Israel's reputation and set a legal example for future cases. Source: The Guardian
