Gaza War: South Africa takes another step in its fight against Israel

South Africa has intensified its legal challenge against Israel, submitting new evidence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding what it considers to be Israel's failure to comply with the Court's orders in the Gaza conflict.

The evidence was submitted on August 25 to a committee of ICJ judges tasked with monitoring Israel’s implementation of the provisional measures previously ordered by the Court and recommending possible options for further action.

This decision represents the latest step in Pretoria’s legal and diplomatic campaign against Israeli military operations in Gaza.

South Africa is putting pressure on the ICJ regarding Israel's compliance with the rules.

The South African Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation stated that the ICJ had issued three legally binding provisional orders against Israel aimed at protecting the rights of Palestinians under the Genocide Convention.

Pretoria maintains that Israel has not complied with orders, while Palestinians in Gaza continue to face severe shortages of water, healthcare, medicine and other basic necessities.

South Africa has also accused Israel of continuing to bomb Gaza, causing casualties and mass displacement of people, while arbitrarily detaining and expelling Palestinians.

The government stated that it would continue to use all available means to obtain "full and immediate compliance" by Israel with the court orders.

The South African legal team at the ICJ. (Photo: via the Twitter page @sahouraxo)

South Africa follows up on previous evidence

This latest communication is based on evidence already provided by South Africa to the international community. Pretoria sent letters to the UN Security Council in May 2024, February 2025, and September 2025, accompanied by publicly available evidence, urging it to take measures to ensure Israel's compliance with the ICJ's provisional measures.

The ICJ's provisional measures are legally binding on the parties to a dispute, although the Court itself has no independent enforcement powers. South Africa's latest communication therefore provides the judges with additional information to assess Israel's compliance with the measures and determine possible remedies.

South Africa filed a complaint against Israel for genocide before the ICJ in December 2023, accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention during its military campaign in Gaza.

Israel has rejected the genocide allegations and has repeatedly defended its military operations, deeming them necessary to protect itself and target Hamas.

This case remains separate from the tribunal's assessment of whether Israel ultimately committed genocide. The interim measures are intended to protect Palestinians and preserve evidence while the merits of the case are examined.

For Pretoria, however, this latest filing of a complaint indicates that its campaign against Israel continues beyond its initial request, with the government seeking to maintain international pressure on Israel through the world’s highest court.