South Africa has stepped up its legal challenge against Israel, submitting fresh evidence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over what it says is Israel’s failure to comply with orders issued by the court in the Gaza conflict.
The evidence was submitted on August 25 to a committee of ICJ judges responsible for monitoring Israel’s implementation of the provisional measures previously ordered by the court and recommending possible options for further action.
The move marks the latest step in Pretoria’s sustained legal and diplomatic campaign over Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the ICJ has issued three legally binding provisional-measures orders against Israel aimed at protecting the rights of Palestinians under the Genocide Convention.
Pretoria maintains that Israel has failed to comply with the orders, while Palestinians in Gaza continue to face severe shortages of water, healthcare, medicines and other essential supplies.
South Africa also accused Israel of continuing to bombard Gaza, causing mass casualties and displacement, while arbitrarily detaining and deporting Palestinians.
The government said it would continue using all available avenues to seek Israel’s “full and immediate compliance” with the court’s orders.
The latest submission builds on evidence South Africa has previously provided to the international community. Pretoria sent letters enclosing public evidence files to the United Nations Security Council in May 2024, February 2025 and September 2025, urging action to ensure Israel complies with the ICJ’s provisional measures.
The ICJ’s provisional measures are legally binding on the parties to a case, although the court itself has no independent enforcement force. South Africa’s latest submission therefore gives the judges additional material to assess Israel’s compliance and consider what further steps may be available to the court.
South Africa launched its genocide case against Israel at the ICJ in December 2023, accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its military campaign in Gaza.
Israel has rejected the genocide allegations and has repeatedly defended its military operations as necessary to protect itself and target Hamas.
The case remains separate from the court’s assessment of whether Israel ultimately committed genocide. The provisional measures concern the protection of Palestinians and preservation of evidence while the broader case proceeds.
For Pretoria, however, the latest filing signals that its campaign against Israel is continuing beyond its original case submission, with the government seeking to keep international pressure on Israel through the world’s highest court.
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