ICJ Orders Israel To Prevent Genocide In Gaza But Not Ceasefire, NZ's Youngest Woman MP Performs Powerful Haka And More

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled Israel must take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

The ICJ, the world’s top court, held a two-day public hearing over Jan. 11 to 12 to determine whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, after South Africa filed a case on Dec. 29, 2023.

South Africa said that Israel had violated the Genocide Convention and urged the court to institute an emergency order – also known as provisional measures – to stop Israel from committing further crimes in Gaza as an official judgement may take years.

After the court heard opening statements from both South Africa and Israel, the court issued a provisional measure on Friday Jan. 26 ordering Israel to “take all measures within its power to prevent genocidal acts against Palestinians”.

In its ruling, the court recalled facts and evidence presented by South Africa including statements from UN officials and dehumanizing quotes from senior Israeli officials, finding that South Africa’s case that Israel is committing genocide is plausible.

The court ordered Israel to:

1. Take all measures within its power to prevent genocide of Palestinians.
2. Ensure its military doesn’t commit genocidal acts.
3. Take all measures within its power to prevent and punish public incitement to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
4. Ensure provisions of urgent service and humanitarian aid in Gaza.
5. Ensure the preservation of evidence related to allegations of genocide.
6. Submit a report to the court in one month showing its compliance with the court’s order.

The orders “have a binding effect and thus create international legal obligations” for Israel.

The ICJ has also called on Hamas and other armed groups to immediately and unconditionally release Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the ruling a “vile attempt” to deny Israel the “inherent right to defend itself”.

“The charge of genocide levelled against Israel is not only false, it’s outrageous, and decent people everywhere should reject it,” he said.

He had said that even the ICJ genocide case won’t stop Israel from fighting until victory in Gaza.

The ICJ has yet to rule that Israel is committing genocide, and a final judgment may take years.

More On The ICJ Genocide Case

• British lawyer Vaughan Lowe for South Africa explained why it did not file a case against Hamas at the ICJ.

More On The Israel–Hamas War

• Israel assassinated a senior Hamas official in Lebanon, raising concerns the war could spread.
• Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected establishing a Palestinian state after the war.
• Netanyahu also refused to accept a deal for a permanent ceasefire that will allow all its remaining hostages to return home.
• Meanwhile, thousands of people in Israel are protesting the government’s war in Gaza and failure to rescue hostages.
• Al Jazeera journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh has safely arrived in Qatar for medical treatment. His journalist son has now been killed by an Israeli airstrike.
• Shortly after, Motaz Azaiza, one of Gaza’s most beloved journalists, announced he was evacuating in a tearful video.
• This UK anchor yelled at a Palestinian politician on air and said “maybe he’s not used to women talking.”
• This Irish politician slammed “Butcher Biden” for supporting Israel’s war in Gaza and said Ireland disowns him
• Israel shared a video of it blowing up another university in Gaza after turning it into a military base.
• An Israeli soldier dressed up in a dinosaur costume and fired bombs into Gaza, causing outrage.
• An eight-year-old Palestinian boy asked a journalist to film him so he can also report on Gaza.

Also Happening Around The World

🇹🇭 This progressive Thai opposition leader who was blocked from being prime minister has been found not guilty of violating election laws.

🇹🇼 People in Taiwan elected a new pro-independence prime minister. Here’s why that’s a big deal. Young people in Taiwan told us why they decided to come out to vote. Following the results, China’s foreign minister then said Taiwan is not a country and “independence will never be possible”.

🇮🇷 Two Iranian women journalists who were jailed for reporting on the death of Mahsa Amini have been temporarily freed.

🇫🇷 France has appointed its youngest and first openly gay prime minister.

🇮🇹 Also in Europe, hundreds of people in Italy did a fascist salute at a far-right rally and people are outraged.

🇪🇨 Ecuador’s number one criminal escaped from prison, and now the country has descended into complete chaos.

In a groundbreaking moment in New Zealand’s political history, 21-year-old Māori woman Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke became the country’s youngest member of parliament in 170 years, delivering a powerful maiden speech.

As part of her first speech to parliament on Dec. 20, Maipi-Clarke, who represents the Hauraki-Waikato Māori seat performed the haka, a traditional Indigenous war dance, and spoke about the rights of New Zealand’s Indigenous communities.

In her speech, Maipi-Clarke said that it had not been her plan to become an MP.

“I was perfectly fine growing my kumara [sweet potato] and learning maramataka [Māori calendar],” she said. “But this house kept tampering with things they shouldn’t be touching. And that’s why I left the māra [garden] to come here.”

“In only a couple of weeks, in only 14 days, this government has attacked my whole world from every corner,” she said. “Health, taiao [environment], wai [water], whenua [land], natural resources, Māori wards, reo [language], tamariki [children], and the right of me and you to be in this country under Te Tiriti [the Treaty of Waitangi],” she said, calling out the new right-wing government’s attempts to institute anti-Māori policies.

“How can I not take anything personally when it feels like these policies were made about me?” she said.

She dedicated her speech to the children of New Zealand, saying that no matter what comes out of the government, she will ensure that they hear them.

“I am at your service in and outside of parliament,” she said. “I will die for you in these chambers. But I will live for you outside these four walls.”

More Women You Should Know About

🇳🇿 Former New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, finally got married after postponing her wedding for years.

🇪🇸 This woman has become Spain’s first lawmaker with down syndrome.

🇸🇻 This 28-year-old woman who was jailed for 30 years for having an abortion, has been freed.

Luke Littler, a 16-year-old from Warrington in the UK, became the youngest player to reach the final of the PDC World Darts Championship on Jan. 3.

The teenager, nicknamed “The Nuke,” defeated two former world champions to reach the final, where he was ultimately defeated by 28-year-old Luke Humphries.

Littler’s success flooded the internet with memes. People praised his achievement but also couldn’t help but express disbelief that Littler was 16, with some calling him “the oldest looking 16-year-old on the planet”.

When asked how he feels to have people joke about his age, Littler said he’s not bothered. “It’s been going on for years when I was 14. They were saying he’s not 14, he’s not 15, but I’m above it,” he said. “I know I’m 16.”“I just block it, laugh at them. Don’t even reply to them. Don’t give them the time of day,” he added.

Littler’s celebrity status is growing with each dart he tosses. His Instagram account has grown from 4,000 to over one million followers in just days.

He has already secured a spot in the sport’s permanent professional league for the coming season.

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