The president celebrated his country's "unprecedented action" and affirmed South Africa's right to bring such a case, despite the ICJ not being a party to the Gaza conflict.
"As the South African Government, we welcome the decision of the ICJ," Ramaphosa said in a televised address. He emphasized that the court recognized the "catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," highlighting the deprivation of basic necessities for hundreds of thousands of Gazans.
In the interim ruling, a panel of 17 judges granted seven "emergency measures" requested by Pretoria. These measures included an order for Israel to refrain from committing genocide, punish military personnel for "genocidal acts," penalize officials publicly calling for Palestinian genocide, and preserve evidence of any such acts already committed.
The ICJ is yet to examine the merits of the case, a process that could potentially take years, according to Reuters.
Notably, the court did not demand Israel halt its military action in Gaza. According to Gaza health officials, the Israeli operation has killed over 26,000 Palestinians, with approximately two-thirds being women and children.