The top United Nations court was set to rule Friday at 9 a.m. ET on an emergency plea by South Africa that judges order Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza and withdraw from the enclave.
While the International Court of Justice has broad powers to order an end to the Israeli military campaign and any such ruling would be a blow to Israel’s international standing, it does not have a police force to enforce its orders.
The ceasefire request is part of a case filed late last year by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide during its Gaza campaign. Israel vehemently denies the allegations.
The case will take years to resolve, but South Africa wants interim orders to protect Palestinians while the legal wrangling continues.