Opinion: ICJ Gaza delay lays bare the moral collapse of international law

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recently postponed the deadline for Israel's defence in the case of South Africa v Israel to January 2026. 

The World Court is tasked with determining whether Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

The international community - which swiftly condemned the 7 October attack within hours - has shown a striking reluctance to use the word genocide in this context, instead waiting for the world's highest court to validate the term. 

This hesitance persists even as the refusal to call a spade a spade breeds unimaginable horror.

Worst of all, there remains a risk that the court might ultimately decline to label the events as genocide. 

Read more: ICJ Gaza delay lays bare the moral collapse of international law Opinion by Shahd Hammouri