The United Nations Security Council has resolved to meet next week over the order by the International Court of Justice calling for Israel to prevent the commission of genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.
Barely 24 hours after the ruling, the council’s presidency announced to hold a meeting on Wednesday.
The Wednesday meeting was called by Algeria, whose ministry of foreign affairs said it would give “binding effect to the pronouncement of the International Court of Justice on the provisional measures imposed on the Israeli occupation.”
The ICJ earlier ruled 15-2 that there was “plausibility” to South Africa’s claims that Palestinians require protection from genocide.
However, the court did not take the action most desired by South Africa and feared by Israel — that of ordering an immediate, unilateral ceasefire which would have stymied the war effort and indicated that the court believes genocide is actively taking place.
The ICJ decision “gives the clear message that in order to do all the things that they are asking for, you need a ceasefire for it to happen,” Palestinian Authority Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said.
“So fasten your seat belts,” he said, hinting that the Arab Group, represented on the council by Algeria, would push for one.
The Security Council, long divided on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, has only agreed to two resolutions since the October 7 Hamas attacks triggered the latest war following a mass killing spree by thousands of Palestinian terrorists that day in which 1,200 were killed and 253 taken hostage.
In December, the UN demanded aid deliveries “at scale” to Gaza. The US previously vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire.
