Two months after ICJ ruling on Gaza war, Israel continues to kill

Two months after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel is potentially committing genocide in Gaza and instructed it to prevent further loss of life, Tel Aviv has refused to call off its brutal military campaign in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israel’s scorched-earth war on Gaza – involving both aerial bombardment and a ground offensive – has killed nearly 32,500 people since the October 7 cross-border offensive by the Hamas resistance group.

At least 6,250 of these casualties took place since the January 26 ICJ ruling, seen as a damning indictment of Israel’s brutal offensive that has killed a staggering number of women and children and maimed hundreds of thousands in Gaza.

According to a report published on Tuesday by the Bisan Center for Research and Development (BCRD), at least 2,500 children have been killed in Gaza since January 26, while more than 15,000 have been injured.

In its order, the ICJ had directed Israel to prevent further genocidal acts, halt and penalise public incitements to genocide, ensure the delivery of aid and services to Palestinians, and provide a report to the ICJ within one month outlining the actions taken to implement these directives.

The continued onslaught by Israel has led to large-scale displacement and extensive infrastructure damage. Additionally, Israeli officials have signalled their intent to intensify the war, with plans for a ground invasion into Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians are displaced.

Meanwhile, aid delivery has dwindled since the Court ruling, while Israel continues to perpetrate killings and massacres against Palestinians awaiting humanitarian assistance.

Deliberate attacks and sieges on hospitals also continue to persist, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

In the past month, the fifth since the ongoing war and siege began, many Palestinians have succumbed to malnutrition and dehydration, with 30 percent of Gaza's population facing famine.

Analysts warn that the international community's failure to hold Israel accountable is undermining the credibility of the ICJ. By allowing Israel to act with impunity, these actions render the court's decisions meaningless.

“The international community is jeopardising their [ICJ’s] credibility and standing by allowing Israel to act with complete disregard and total impunity, rendering these decisions meaningless and setting a dangerous precedent for the global and supposedly rules-based order,” Zaid Amali, Director of International Advocacy at Palestinian NGO MIFTAH, tells TRT World.

“If such avenues do not deliver, the Palestinian people will lose whatever little faith they still have in international law.”

A recent report by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, titled "Escalation in Genocide and Absence of Accountability: Two Months after the International Court of Justice’s Ruling on Gaza," reveals that Israel has, in fact, escalated its violations since the ICJ ruling.

In recent weeks, the Israeli army has faced significant criticism for targeting civilian gatherings near humanitarian aid trucks using direct gunfire, quadcopters, and tank shells. Termed the "Flour Massacres," these incidents have led to the deaths of 563 civilians and left 1,523 others injured.

Among the casualties are individuals awaiting aid and aid workers responsible for planning, securing, and distributing assistance.

The report delved into Israel's ongoing offences targeting Palestinians in Gaza, highlighting tactics aimed at causing significant physical and psychological harm.

These include healthcare deprivation, torture, inhumane treatment, sexual violence, and the utilisation of banned, indiscriminate, and highly damaging weaponry.

“ICJ decisions are final, binding and cannot be appealed, it is the double standard of the [allied] states that have rendered the court ruling as ineffective, as they did not implement an arms embargo and did not do everything in their power to stop the genocide,” Ubai Aboudi, the executive director of the rights organisation Bisan Center for Research and Development (BCRD), tells TRT World.

Israel also withdrew its team from the ongoing talks with Hamas in Doha on Wednesday, attributing the halt in talks to the UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Israel strongly condemned the UN Security Council's adoption of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, marking the first time such a resolution was passed after months of deadlock.

The resolution, supported by fourteen council members, including the UK, also demanded the unconditional release of all remaining hostages and an urgent expansion of humanitarian aid deliveries.

The US, Israel's key ally, criticised the resolution for not condemning Hamas for the 7 October attacks.

Despite expressing frustration with Israel's conduct, the US abstained from voting, asserting full support for the resolution's key objectives.

In response, Israel cancelled a planned visit by an Israeli delegation to Washington aimed at discussing its proposed ground offensive in Rafah, where over a million people sought shelter.

The US cautioned against a full-scale assault, warning of the potential for a humanitarian catastrophe.

“Israel has become a rogue state that is protected by major Western powers, including the US, UK and Germany. These special protections have enabled Israel to violate international law, continue its unlawful occupation and now commence in genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Aboudia adds.

“This can only be reversed if other states start to impose sanctions on Israel.”