Israel won't follow court order on Gaza ceasefire: Benjamin Netanyahu
Tel Aviv: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a bold statement on Saturday that the country will continue its campaign against Hamas until it achieves victory on Hamas, underscoring that no external entities, including the World Court, can stop its counter-offensive, media reports said.
Netanyahu's statement comes as the conflict in Gaza is about to reach 100 days.
Following two days of hearings at The Hague's International Court of Justice, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the allegations made by South Africa.
The country has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, a claim that Israel has dismissed as both libelous and hypocritical, the Associated Press reported.
South Africa has urged the court to intervene and instruct Israel to cease its intense air and ground offensive as an interim measure.
Netanyahu addressed the public following a two-day session at The Hague's International Court of Justice, where South Africa had made allegations accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.
“No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anyone else,” Netanyahu said in televised remarks on Saturday evening, referring to Iran and its allied militias.
The case before the World Court is expected to linger over several years, yet a decision on interim measures might be reached within weeks.
While court rulings are binding, enforcing them proves challenging.
Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would disregard any orders to halt the conflict, possibly exacerbating its international isolation.
Despite mounting global pressure for Israel to conclude the war, in which over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and destruction and suffering in the besieged enclave, the country has been shielded by diplomatic and military support from the United States.