NEW YORK: The UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the immediate implementation of binding measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the Gaza genocide case, warning that the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave has deepened since the ruling and that the war is entering “a third monstrous year.”
Antonio Guterres told world leaders gathered at the opening of the high-level debate at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York: “The measures stipulated by the ICJ must be implemented, fully and immediately.”
The ICJ, the UN’s top legal body, issued provisional measures earlier this year in response to a case brought against Israel under the Genocide Convention.
They require Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide and incitement to genocide, cease military operations, ensure unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza, and facilitate UN-mandated investigations into alleged genocidal acts. The court emphasized that these orders create international legal obligations for Israel.
Since that ruling, Guterres said, a famine has been declared in Gaza and violence has intensified, with civilians bearing the brunt of the continued military offensive.
