The World Court on Friday ordered Israel to ensure that its military does not commit any actions that could be genocide in its campaign in Gaza against Hamas, but it did not dictate a ceasefire.

Israel plans to continue to defend itself against Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the International Court of Justice gave a nod to South Africa’s genocide claim against Israel on Friday. “The charge of genocide levelled against Israel is not only false, it’s outrageous, and decent people everywhere should reject it,” the Israeli PM said.

“On the eve of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I again pledge as Prime Minister of Israel – Never Again. Israel will continue to defend itself against Hamas, a genocidal terror organization.” He said Israel’s commitment to international law is unwavering and equally unwavering is the country’s sacred commitment to continue to defend “our country and defend our people”.

“Israel’s commitment to international law is unwavering. Equally unwavering is our sacred commitment to continue to defend our country and defend our people,” Netanyahu says in an English-language video posted online.

Declaring Hamas a “genocidal” organization, Netanyahu argues that Israel’s war is against “terrorists, not against Palestinian civilians,” adding that Hamas has vowed to repeat the “atrocities” of October 7 “again and again.” Despite the war, “we will continue to facilitate humanitarian assistance, and to do our utmost to keep civilians out of harm’s way, even as Hamas uses civilians as human shields,” he says.

The World Court on Friday ordered Israel to ensure that its military does not commit any actions that could be genocide in its campaign in Gaza against Hamas. The court, formally known as the International Court of Justice, also ordered Israel to immediately allow “urgently-needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” to the Palestinians of Gaza.

Citing inflammatory rhetoric from some Israeli leaders, the court also ordered Israel to punish and prevent incitement to genocide.

The court reserved judgment on the crux of the case whether Israel had committed genocide, but said that “in the court’s view, at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the [genocide] convention”.

South Africa invoked the international convention on preventing genocide to allege that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel launched a counterattack after Hamas had attacked it killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage on October 7.

Israel’s counterattack has led to the killing of about 25,000 people, many of them women and children, and the displacement of about 85 per cent of Gaza’s population of about 2 million.

Israel countered South Africa’s allegations saying that it has the right to self-defence and that it took steps to protect civilians by warning them about bombings in advance so they can move out of harm’s way and even abandoning some sorties when civilians are in danger.

Israeli leaders have reacted with outrage at the suggestion of genocide as the Jewish people were victims of the crime by Nazis in Europe and have found refuge in Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)