South Africa has made an urgent request for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue emergency orders to prevent “large-scale killing, harm and destruction” from Israel’s imminent assault on Rafah. The ICJ, which is preparing to commence separate hearings on the legal status of Israeli occupation next week, has yet to respond. The world awaits the Hague’s response.

Readers of P&I may not be aware of the proceedings presently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which proceedings are to involve the taking of oral submissions before the Court from Monday 19 February up to and including Monday 26 February, that is, six sitting days.

Readers are of course aware of the dispute brought by South Africa, the preliminary hearing of which resulted in the decision by the Court, published on 26 January, making provisional orders. That is an example of one role of the ICJ, namely to determine legal disputes between States submitted to it by States or a State.

The proceedings commencing next Monday constitute the other role of the ICJ, namely to give an advisory opinion on legal questions referred to it by United Nations organs or agencies. In this instance the General Assembly of........

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