The United Nations Security Council is set to convene next week to address the recent decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which called on Israel to take measures preventing genocidal acts in Gaza. Algeria has requested the meeting, emphasizing that it will give binding effect to the ICJ’s pronouncement on the provisional measures imposed on the Israeli occupation.
The ICJ’s ruling, issued on Friday, outlined that Israel must take actions to prevent genocidal acts in its conflict with Hamas and allow the delivery of aid into Gaza. However, the court stopped short of explicitly calling for an immediate end to the ongoing hostilities.
The decision sends a clear message, according to Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, indicating that achieving the outlined measures requires a ceasefire. Mansour hinted at potential efforts by the Arab Group, represented by Algeria on the Security Council, to advocate for a ceasefire.
The Security Council, historically divided on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, has only agreed to two resolutions since the latest round of fighting erupted after the October 7 attacks by Hamas. In December, it called for scaled-up aid deliveries to Gaza’s besieged population. However, the United States, a staunch ally of Israel, has resisted calls for a ceasefire despite international pressure.
The current conflict began with an unprecedented attack by Hamas, resulting in approximately 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians. The group also seized around 250 hostages, with Israel reporting that about 132 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 deceased captives. Israel has committed to crushing Hamas, leading to a military offensive that, according to Gaza’s health ministry, has claimed the lives of at least 26,083 people, with around 70 percent being women and children.
The ICJ, based in The Hague, refrained from an immediate halt to the nearly four-month-old war but mandated that Israel take all necessary actions to prevent acts falling within the scope of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. The upcoming Security Council meeting will likely play a crucial role in shaping the international response to the ongoing crisis in the region.