US Response To International Court Decision: Genocide Allegations Against Israel Are Unfounded

The condition of refugees in Gaza/DOC via UN

JAKARTA - The United States has maintained its stance on allegations of genocide against Israel "baseless", after the International Court (ICJ) issued a temporary decision allowing the case to proceed.

A spokesman for the US State Department said the US acknowledged "the ICJ's important role in resolving disputes peacefully."

Jubir juga menyatakan pemerintahan Presiden AS JoeBiden "seconsistently menjelaskan Israel harus mengambil semua langkah yang memungkinkan untuk meministrasi kerugian sipil, meningkatkan aliran bantuan kemanusiaan, dan mengatasi retorika yang tidak manusia."

"In our opinion, allegations of genocide are baseless... The alliance has not made any findings about genocide or called for a ceasefire in its decision and called for an unconditional immediate release and all hostages detained by Hamas," the spokesman told Anadolu quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, January 27.

"The court's ruling is also consistent with our view that Israel has the right to take action to ensure the October 7 terrorist attack does not happen again, in accordance with international law," he added.

The US will continue to monitor the court process in line with the development of the case.

The ICJ on Friday ordered Israel to take "all measures according to their authority" to prevent genocide in Gaza, but did not issue a mandate for a ceasefire.

South Africa brought a genocide case against Israel to the ICJ at the end of last month, and asked the ICJ to issue an emergency action order to end the bloodshed in Gaza.

More than 26,000 Palestinians have died in the region since October 7. Most of the fatalities -- about two-thirds -- are women and children.

Thousands more are thought to have died under the rubble after Israel's war destroyed most of the coastal enclave.

With a vote of 15 to two, ICJ said in a temporary decision, "Israeli countries, in accordance with their obligations based on the Genocide Crime Prevention and Punishion Convention, in connection with Palestinians in Gaza, must take all action in their authority to prevent all types of action within the scope of Article II of this Convention."

"At least some of the actions and negligences alleged by South Africa by Israel in Gaza appear to be included in the provisions of the Convention (Genosida)," the judge said.

The 1948 Genocide Convention defines genocide as "an act taken with the intention of destroying, overall or partially, a group of nations, ethnicity, race, or religion."

The genocide includes the killing of group members, causing serious physical or mental suffering against group members, and intentionally causing living conditions that are thought to result in group destruction as a whole or in part.

Regarding the blockade of aid and humanitarian services, the Hague-based ICJ said Israel "must take immediate and effective action to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian aid much-needed to address the adverse living conditions facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

Israel has long denied allegations of genocide in connection with the war it waged in Gaza.

In response to the ICJ's decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv's commitment to international law was unshakable.

"What is also immovable is our sacred commitment to continue to defend our country and defend our people," he said in his televised remarks.

He asserted that Israel has "a inherent right to self-defense," and added that "a heinous attempt to reject Israel's fundamental rights is a blatant discrimination against the Jewish state, and it was fairly rejected."

Hamas praised the interim decision, and urged the international community to force Israel to implement it. The group said it was waiting for ICJ's final decision.