South Africa says ICJ genocide case will continue despite Gaza ceasefire

President Cyril Ramaphosa says advancement and healing hinge connected the lawsuit against Israel being heard.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Gaza ceasefire volition not impact his country’s genocide lawsuit against Israel astatine the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Ramaphosa made the connection connected Tuesday successful Cape Town successful parliament, stressing that South Africa’s determination to prosecute its 2023 lawsuit contempt the statement connected the wide lauded US-backed woody aimed astatine ending Israel’s warfare connected the besieged territory.

“The bid woody that has been struck, which we welcome, volition person nary bearing connected the lawsuit that is earlier the International Court of Justice,” Ramaphosa told parliament.

“The lawsuit is proceeding, and it present has to spell to the signifier wherever Israel has to respond to our pleadings that person been filed successful the court, and they person to bash truthful by January of adjacent year,” helium added.

South Africa filed the case successful December 2023, accusing Israel of genocidal acts successful Gaza.

South Africa handed successful a 500-page detailed submission successful October 2024, with Israel’s counter-arguments owed by January 12, 2026. Oral hearings are anticipated successful 2027, with a last judgement expected successful precocious 2027 oregon aboriginal 2028.

The ICJ has issued 3 provisional measures, ordering Israel to forestall genocidal acts and let humanitarian assistance into Gaza, though Israel has mostly failed to comply.

More than 67,000 Palestinians person been killed successful Gaza since October 2023, according to Palestinian wellness authorities.

Ramaphosa emphasised that existent healing requires the lawsuit being decently heard.

“We cannot spell guardant without the healing that needs to instrumentality place, which volition besides effect from the lawsuit that has been launched being decently heard,” helium said.

Responding to a quality study astir the announcement, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations peculiar rapporteur connected the occupied Palestinian territory, wrote connected X: “Peace without justice, respect for quality rights and dignity, without reparations and guarantees of non reeptition [sic], is not sustainable.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been a vocal professional of Israel, echoed akin sentiments, telling Spanish vigor that the ceasefire should not mean impunity for Israel.

“There cannot beryllium impunity”, Sanchez said, adding that “the main actors of the genocide volition person to reply to justice”.

Several rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, person accused Israel of committing genocidal acts successful Gaza. A UN commission of enquiry recovered successful September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide.

Israel has powerfully rejected allegations that it has carried retired a genocide successful Gaza.

Several countries person joined, oregon declared an volition to bash so, successful the ICJ lawsuit to enactment South Africa, including Spain, Ireland, Turkiye and Colombia, whose president, Gustavo Petro, wrote that governments hazard becoming “complicit successful the atrocities” if they neglect to act.

South Africa co-chairs The Hague Group, a conjugation formed successful January 2025, focused connected holding Israel accountable done legal, diplomatic and economical measures beyond the ICJ proceedings.