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The UN's highest court has ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide against Gazans and allow vital aid into the Palestinian enclave, but stopped short of demanding it halt its military campaign.
Outlining the case, court president Joan Donoghue, an American lawyer who advised on foreign policy during the Obama administration, said the court was “acutely aware of the extent of human tragedy unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continued loss of life and human suffering”.
The International Court of Justice did not rule at this stage on the core of the case brought by South Africa on whether genocide has occurred in Gaza. But it recognised the right of Palestinians to be protected from acts of genocide, which it described as “plausible”.
A panel of 17 judges at the ICJ dismissed Israel's bid to throw out the case and ordered it to report back in a month, also outlining six provisional measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza.
By not calling for a ceasefire while also stating that there is a possibility of genocide in Gaza, the court paved the way for both Israel and South Africa to claim they had scored a diplomatic victory.
What the ICJ decided
In its interim order, the court ruled:
- Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent the act of genocide (15 votes to two)
- Israel must ensure the military does not commit acts of genocide (15 votes to two)
- Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent or punish incitement of genocide (16 votes to one)
- Israel must ensure humanitarian assistance to Gaza (15 votes to one)
- Israel must prevent the destruction of allegations of acts of genocide (15 votes to two)
- Israel shall report to the court within one month (15 votes to two)
'A significant milestone in the search for justice'
The South African government described the interim ruling as a “significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people”.
“I would have wanted that the word 'cessation' be included in the judgment, but I’m satisfied with the directives that have been given,” South Africa's Foreign Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor told reporters in The Hague.
“It’s now a test for the government of the people of Israel as to whether they will act in a manner that says all of us must respect international law.”
The ministry's director-general Zane Dangor played down the court not calling for a ceasefire.
“We called for an end to the military operations, and an end to the military operations in its current forms is definitely implied in this order,” said Mr Dangor.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki welcomed the provisional measures, saying “the ICJ judges assessed the facts and the law, they ruled in favour of humanity and international law”, while a senior Hamas official called the decision “an important development that contributes to isolating the occupation and exposing its crimes in Gaza”.
"It is a historic day and we are in close collaboration and consultation with South Africa," said Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, adding that he had called for an emergency Arab Group meeting on the ruling.
"We are digging into all the details in order to take the appropriate steps, which, of course, these steps will be in the Security Council ... So fasten your seat belts."
In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the court's decision not to call for a ceasefire while also criticising South Africa.
“The charge of genocide levelled against Israel is not only false, it’s outrageous, and decent people everywhere should reject it,” said Mr Netanyahu.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked the court in a post on X, which read: “The Hague Shmague.”
In the sweeping ruling, a large majority of the 17-judge panel voted for urgent measures, which covered most of what South Africa asked for with the notable exception of ordering a halt to Israeli military action in Gaza.
The court quoted UN statements describing the high level of suffering of civilians in Gaza as well as inflammatory calls to kill Palestinian civilians made by Israeli government ministers.
“The court considers that the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is at serious risk of deteriorating further before the court renders its final judgment,” said Ms Donoghue.
She said that recent statements by Israel's attorney general that calling for intentional harm to civilians represents a criminal offence were “encouraging” but “insufficient”.
The court also said it was “gravely concerned” about the fate of Israeli hostages in Gaza and called on Hamas and other armed groups to immediately release them without conditions.
“All parties to the conflict in the Gaza Strip are bound by international humanitarian law, which includes Hamas,” said Ms Donoghue.
Judges demanded that Israel refrain from engaging in acts of genocide, which include killing, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about a group's physical destruction in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births.
South Africa on December 29 brought the case requesting emergency measures against Israel, accusing it of committing state-led genocide in the Palestinian enclave.
The case will now move on to the “merits” stage, during which judges will determine whether Israel is actually committing genocide in Gaza. However, the merits of the genocide allegations may take years to decide.
Observers said that the provisional measures were in line with was expected.
“The court could have done more? Yes. The court could have done less? Yes. Is this a 'win' for South Africa? Yes. Is it the best win of the century? No,” Alonso Gurmendi, lecturer on international relations at the University of Oxford, wrote on X.
The judges
The panel of 17 judges include an American, a Russian and one each from Israel and South Africa.
The ICJ has 15 permanent judges who serve a nine-year term, are elected by UN members and swear to be impartial as they hear disputes between states.
Both Israel and South Africa made use of their right to nominate an “ad hoc judge” to hear their case.
The only judge to object to all measures was Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde. In a dissenting opinion, Ms Sebutinde argued that the dispute between Israel and the people of Palestine was essentially political and not to be settled by the ICJ.
Israeli ad hoc judge Aharaon Barak opposed most measures except calling on Israel to punish public incitement to commit genocide and the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to the enclave.
A Holocaust survivor, Mr Barak said in a separate opinion that genocide was “more than just a word for him: it represents calculated destruction and human behaviour at its very worst”.
The “appropriate legal framework for analysing the situation in Gaza is international humanitarian law, and not the Genocide Convention”, he said.
ICJ rules not to throw out genocide case against Israel – in pictures
Ongoing battle in Khan Younis
The Israeli military said on Friday it was still engaged in “intensive battles in the heart of Khan Younis”, the main city in the south of the enclave, with forces striking dozens of Hamas fighters and infrastructure from the air and ground.
It said forces had also fired at Hamas targets in northern Gaza and along the coastline.
Gaza officials said on Thursday that Israeli strikes had killed 20 Palestinians queuing for food aid in Gaza city, 11 in the central Al Nusseirat refugee camp and at least 50 in the previous 24 hours in Khan Younis.
In more than three months of war, Israel's campaign has levelled much of the enclave, displaced about 1.9 million Palestinians and killed more than 26,000, according to Gaza officials.
The conflict began in October after militants from Hamas, which rules Gaza, stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Fatherland
Kele Okereke
(BMG)
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South Africa
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The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
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Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
