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Reactions to World Court Ruling on Israel’s War in Gaza

A participant during a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian population, and in support of the South African cause, during a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, The Netherlands, on a request from South Africa for emergency measures for Gaza, 26 January 2024. (EPA)
A participant during a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian population, and in support of the South African cause, during a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, The Netherlands, on a request from South Africa for emergency measures for Gaza, 26 January 2024. (EPA)
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Reactions to World Court Ruling on Israel’s War in Gaza

A participant during a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian population, and in support of the South African cause, during a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, The Netherlands, on a request from South Africa for emergency measures for Gaza, 26 January 2024. (EPA)
A participant during a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian population, and in support of the South African cause, during a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, The Netherlands, on a request from South Africa for emergency measures for Gaza, 26 January 2024. (EPA)

The World Court on Friday ordered Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide as it wages war against Hamas militants in Gaza, and do more to help civilians, but it stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire as requested by South Africa.

Following are reactions to the ruling by the UN-affiliated International Court of Justice in The Hague:

SOUTH AFRICAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

"Today marks a decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people.

"There is no credible basis for Israel to continue to claim that its military actions are in full compliance with international law, including the Genocide Convention, having regard to the Court's ruling.

"South Africa sincerely hopes that Israel will not act to frustrate the application of this order, as it has publicly threatened to do, but that it will instead act to comply with it fully, as it is bound to do."

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

"Israel's commitment to international law is unwavering. Equally unwavering is our sacred commitment to continue to defend our country and defend our people. Like every country, Israel has an inherent right to defend itself.

"The vile attempt to deny Israel this fundamental right is blatant discrimination against the Jewish state, and it was justly rejected. The charge of genocide levelled against Israel is not only false, it's outrageous, and decent people everywhere should reject it.

"Israel will continue to defend itself against Hamas, a genocidal terror organization.

"On Oct. 7, Hamas perpetrated the most horrific atrocities against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and it vows to repeat these atrocities again and again and again. Our war is against Hamas terrorists, not against Palestinian civilians."

PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RIYAD AL-MALIKI

"The ICJ judges assessed the facts and the law, they ruled in favor of humanity and international law.

"We call on all states to ensure that all provisional measures ordered by the Court are implemented, including by Israel, the occupying power. This is a binding legal obligation.

"The ICJ order is an important reminder that no state is above the law. It should serve as a wake-up call for Israel and actors who enabled its entrenched impunity."

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER YOAV GALLANT

"The International Court of Justice in The Hague went above and beyond, when it granted South Africa's antisemitic request to discuss the claim of genocide in Gaza, and now refuses to reject the petition outright."

SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL SAMI ABU ZUHRI

"The International Court of Justice ruling is an important development that contributes to isolating the occupation (Israel) and exposing its crimes in Gaza. We call for compelling the occupation to implement the court's decisions."

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

"The World Court's landmark decision puts Israel and its allies on notice that immediate action is needed to prevent genocide and further atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza. Lives hang in the balance, and governments need to urgently use their leverage to ensure that the order is enforced. The scale and gravity of civilian suffering in Gaza driven by Israeli war crimes demands nothing less...

"The court's clear and binding orders raise the stakes for Israel's allies to back up their stated commitment to a global rules-based order by helping ensure compliance with this watershed ruling."

FOREIGN MINISTER HOSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN OF IRAN

"Today, the authorities of the fake Israeli regime ... must be brought to justice immediately for committing genocide and unprecedented war crimes against the Palestinians."

HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER REED BRODY

"The ICJ didn't give South Africa all it wanted, but this ruling is a resounding vindication of Pretoria's decision to bring the case, and a powerful indictment of Israeli policy.

"Most importantly, whatever the Israeli government may say, this binding order will put pressure on Israel, directly and through its allies, to end the collective punishment of the people of Gaza and to allow humanitarian aid."

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY GENERAL AGNES CALLAMARD

"The stakes could not be higher - the ICJ's provisional measures indicate that in the Court's view the survival of Palestinians in Gaza is at risk. The Israeli government must comply with the ICJ's ruling immediately."

ISRAELI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER ITAMAR BEN-GVIR

"Hague shmague" - he wrote, appearing to mock the ruling in a Yiddish-style putdown on the social media platform X.

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Palestinian Olympic Team Greeted with Cheers and Gifts in Paris

Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)
Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)
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Palestinian Olympic Team Greeted with Cheers and Gifts in Paris

Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)
Palestinian athletes Yazan Al Bawwab and Valerie Tarazi try a date offered to them by a young supporter upon arriving to the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Roissy, north of Paris, France. (AP Photo/Megan Janetsky)

Palestinian Olympic athletes were greeted with a roar of a crowd and gifts of food and roses as they arrived in Paris on Thursday, ready to represent war–torn Gaza and the rest of the territories on a global stage.

As the beaming athletes walked through a sea of Palestinian flags at the main Paris airport, they said they hoped their presence would serve as a symbol amid the Israel-Hamas war that has claimed more than 39,000 Palestinian lives.

Athletes, French supporters and politicians in the crowd urged the European nation to recognize a Palestinian state, while others expressed outrage at Israel's presence at the Games after UN-backed human rights experts said Israeli authorities were responsible for “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

“France doesn’t recognize Palestine as a country, so I am here to raise the flag,” said Yazan Al-Bawwab, a 24-year-old Palestinian swimmer born in Saudi Arabia. “We're not treated like human beings, so when we come play sports, people realize we are equal to them.”

"We're 50 million people without a country," he added.

Al-Bawwab, one of eight athletes on the Palestinian team, signed autographs for supporters and plucked dates from a plate offered by a child in the crowd.

The chants of “free Palestine” echoing through the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport show how conflict and the political tension are rippling through the Olympic Games. The world is coming together in Paris at a moment of global political upheaval, multiple wars, historic migration and a deepening climate crisis, all issues that have risen to the forefront of conversation in the Olympics.

In May, French President Emmanuel Macron said he prepared to officially recognize a Palestinian state but that the step should “come at a useful moment” when emotions aren’t running as high. That fueled anger by some like 34-year-old Paris resident Ibrahim Bechrori, who was among dozens of supporters waiting to greet the Palestinian athletes in the airport.

“I'm here to show them they're not alone, they're supported," Bechrouri said. Them being here “shows that the Palestinian people will continue to exist, that they won't be erased. It also means that despite the dire situation, they're staying resilient. They're still a part of the world and are here to stay.”

Palestinian ambassador to France Hala Abou called for France to formally recognize a Palestinian state and for a boycott of the Israeli Olympic delegation. Abou has previously said she has lost 60 relatives in the war.

“It’s welcome that comes as no surprise to the French people, who support justice, support the Palestinian people, support their inalienable right to self-determination,” she said.

That call for recognition comes just a day after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a scathing speech to Congress during a visit to Washington, which was met with protests. He declared he would achieve “total victory” against Hamas and called those protesting the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the US “useful idiots” for Iran.

Israel's embassy in Paris echoed the International Olympic Committee in a “decision to separate politics from the Games.”

"We welcome the Olympic Games and our wonderful delegation to France. We also welcome the participation of all the foreign delegations," the Embassy wrote in a statement to The Associated Press. “Our athletes are here to proudly represent their country, and the entire nation is behind to support them.”

The AP has made multiple attempts to speak with Israeli athletes without success.

Even under the best of circumstances, it is difficult to maintain a vibrant Olympics training program in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem. That's become next to impossible in nine months of war between Israel and Hamas as much of the country's sporting infrastructure have been devastated.

Among the large Palestinian diaspora worldwide, many of the athletes on the team were born or live elsewhere, yet they care deeply about the politics of their parents’ and grandparents’ homeland. Among them was Palestinian American swimmer Valerie Tarazi, who handed out traditional keffiyehs to supporters surrounding her Thursday.

“You can either crumble under pressure or use it as energy,” she said. “I chose to use it as energy.”