The Short Answer
No court has found that Israel committed genocide. In South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice, the Court issued provisional measures in 2024 but made no ruling on the merits; the case is still in written pleadings, with filings scheduled into 2029. Israel rejects the accusation as false: genocide requires intent to destroy a people, while Israel's documented aim was to defeat Hamas and free the hostages.
What the ICJ did — and didn't — decide
South Africa filed its case in December 2023. On January 26, 2024, the ICJ ordered provisional measures, such as preventing incitement and enabling humanitarian aid. Former ICJ President Joan Donoghue later clarified publicly that the Court did not decide that the claim of genocide was "plausible"; it found that Palestinians had plausible rights to protection under the Genocide Convention. Further orders followed in March and May 2024.
Israel filed its counter-memorial in March 2026, including objections to the Court's jurisdiction. On May 21, 2026, the Court set deadlines of November 2027 for South Africa's reply and May 2029 for Israel's rejoinder. A final judgment is likely years away.
Why Israel says the charge is false
The legal definition of genocide requires specific intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group as such. Israel points to its evacuation warnings, humanitarian corridors, aid deliveries, and the fact that it agreed to multiple ceasefires and prisoner exchanges as evidence of the opposite. It notes that the war's casualty patterns stem from Hamas's strategy of fighting from within civilian areas.
A UN Commission of Inquiry and some human rights groups have accused Israel of genocide; Israel rejects their findings as biased and methodologically flawed. Supporters of Israel also point out the irony that it was Hamas, on October 7, that openly targeted civilians because they were Jews.
Key Facts
- ICJ case filed December 29, 2023
- Provisional measures ordered January, March and May 2024
- No ruling on the merits; filings scheduled into 2029
- Israel filed its counter-memorial in March 2026
Sources & Further Reading
- ICJ — South Africa v. Israel case page
- Genocide Convention (1948), full text — Yale Avalon Project
- South Africa's genocide case — overview (Wikipedia)
- Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
This answer reflects publicly available information as of October 2026.