South Africa has submitted additional material to the International Court of Justice concerning Israel’s alleged failure to carry out measures ordered during the Gaza proceedings.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the material was lodged on 25 August 2026.
The submission arrives while the broader case remains in its written stage. South Africa must file its Reply by 22 November 2027, while Israel’s Rejoinder is due on 22 May 2029.
New filing concerns court-ordered protections
The dossier is separate from a final determination on the genocide allegations.
It relates to three sets of provisional measures issued by the ICJ in January, March and May 2024.
South Africa’s position is that Israel has not fulfilled the obligations set out in those orders.
The filing relies on Article 11 of the court’s internal judicial practice. That provision permits a panel of judges to review information from the parties about steps taken to implement provisional measures.
The panel may assess the information and offer recommendations. Any formal ruling, however, must come from the court as a whole.
Genocide claim remains unresolved
South Africa brought the case under the Genocide Convention on 29 December 2023.
The ICJ has not ruled that Israel committed genocide.
When it ordered provisional measures, the court said the rights claimed by Palestinians in Gaza under the convention were plausible and that there was a serious risk of irreparable harm before the case could be decided.
Israel denies the accusation. Its government says the military campaign is directed at Hamas and other armed organisations rather than Palestinians as a group.
Israel submitted its Counter-Memorial on 12 March 2026. The document also contests the ICJ’s jurisdiction and argues that South Africa’s application should not be admitted.
Compliance questions may remain active
The court has no independent enforcement service.
The UN Charter provides a possible route through the Security Council when questions arise over compliance with international court judgments, although political considerations can affect that process.
South Africa’s latest filing is directed to the ICJ’s judicial process, unlike earlier communications sent to UN political and economic bodies, including the Security Council, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council.
The written phase is not expected to finish until Israel files its Rejoinder in May 2029. Only after that stage can the court consider arranging oral hearings.
The timing of those hearings remains unknown, leaving the provisional-measures dispute as an important part of the proceedings while the main claim continues.