Palestinian Resistance groups comment on ICJ ruling, hail South Africa

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
26 Jan 2024 20:25
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Palestinian Resistance factions consider that the ICJ's decision has fallen short of responding to the ongoing genocide taking place in Gaza.

A demonstrator waves the Palestinian flag in front of the Peace Palace ahead of the ICJ verdict, The Hague, January 26, 2024 (AFP)

Palestinian Resistance factions commented on Friday in separate statements on the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding South Africa's genocide case against "Israel".

The Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas welcomed the decision, considering it as substantiating the accusation against the Israeli occupation entity of committing genocide in Gaza, having called on "Israel" to prevent it and refrain from inciting it thereof.

In a statement, the Resistance group added that this decision "means putting an end to all forms of aggression against our Palestinian people in Gaza," urging the international community to "compel the enemy to implement the court's decisions and to stop the ongoing genocide against our people."

Hamas also expressed its anticipation for the court's final decisions, including condemning the Israeli occupation for committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

It emphasized that the decision "opens the door for holding the enemy's leaders accountable for these crimes before the International Criminal Court, affirming the rights of our Palestinian people to determine their destiny, establish their independent state, and return to their land and homes from which they were forcibly displaced, under international resolutions on this matter."

The Resistance movement also declared its appreciation for the "genuine stance of South Africa, its support for our Palestinian people and their just cause, and its sincere efforts to end the aggression on Gaza, as well as its rejection of the occupation's brutal crimes," expressing gratitude to all countries that expressed their support for this "noble humanitarian action."

The international legal system serves the interests of global powers

On its part, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad viewed the emergency measures issued by the ICJ "as falling short, as they did not demand an immediate ceasefire to protect the Palestinian people from ongoing genocide, which the enemy might exploit to act as it wishes."

The Resistance group criticized the court's failure to issue a clear decision compelling the occupation entity to immediately stop the war, despite "implicitly acknowledging the ongoing genocide committed against our people in Gaza."

"The court's reluctance to demand an immediate ceasefire is evidence that global evil powers dominate the international legal system and organizations to serve their interests at the expense of the oppressed," the group's statement read.

Furthermore, the Islamic Jihad praised the efforts made by the South African government "to expose and reveal Zionist crimes and to break the global silence surrounding the ongoing genocide against our people."

Free people of the world must increase pressuring dominant powers

Also criticizing the ICJ's final ruling, the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement expressed its astonishment at "the International Court's failure to issue a clear decision for an immediate ceasefire, despite its decision to approve South Africa's lawsuit against the Zionist entity's violation of the Genocide Convention, which diminishes the value of other resolutions and temporary measures."

The movement emphasized in this context that "the decision, which included temporary measures, does not rise to the level of the crimes committed by the Zionist entity's government in Gaza in its worst material, moral, psychological, and social forms."

"The absence of international decisions compelling the Zionist enemy to halt its aggression results from the international system and its institutions' inability to protect human rights and the rights of peoples in their pursuit of freedom, due to American-Zionist dominance over that system, which now operates in their interests at the expense of the oppressed peoples."

The Mujahideen Movement also praised South Africa's efforts, which "attempted to stop the aggression and overcome the international silence regarding the heinous massacres committed by the Zionist enemy against the Palestinian people in Gaza."

It also called on all free people in the world and the active forces in the nation to "increase pressure in all its forms on the dominant powers to stop the savage aggression on the Gaza Strip."

Self-oversight

These statements come after the International Court of Justice failed to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and ordered "Israel" to take "measures to prevent genocide in Gaza."

It also requested that the occupation entity submit a report to the court one month later, detailing how the measures have been implemented, including that of the delivery of aid to Gaza.

However, the execution process of the ICJ's ruling will be without oversight of any party, and the Israelis will present a self-made report.