A historic reckoning is underway in the corridors of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The South African genocide case against Israel—joined by Brazil, Ireland, Turkey, Chile, and seven other nations—isn’t just a legal proceeding but a fundamental turn of the corner, a sea change in the way in which the international community is now prepared to view Israeli conduct in Gaza. Two years ago, such a shift was unimaginable.

The numbers are telling a devastating story. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. An investigation by the Israeli magazine 972, together with The Guardian, found that five out of every six Palestinians killed by the Israeli military were civilians. This 83 per cent civilian death rate contrasts sharply with official Israeli claims about precision targeting and civilian protection.

“The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as secretary-general,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, the words carrying weight from someone who has witnessed conflicts across the globe. His assessment reflects a growing international consensus that what is happening in Gaza represents something extraordinary in its scope and devastation.

What has happened is that the legal architecture erected over decades to prevent atrocities has been engaged with unprecedented force. In January 2024, the ICJ ordered provisional measures, finding plausible rights violations and ordering Israel to prevent genocide, ensure humanitarian aid, and preserve evidence. By May, the Court........

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