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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has labelled the charges of genocide levelled against Israel at the World Court as “outrageous”.

Though the United Nations’s top court on Friday fell short of ordering a ceasefire in war-ravaged Gaza in a genocide case, it demanded that Israel must contain death and damage to its military offensive in the enclave, which was home to over 2.3 million populace.

Responding to a case brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Netanyahu said Israel was committed to international law after the World Court ordered it to take action to prevent acts of genocide in its war in Gaza, but he reiterated that it had a right to defend itself.

“Like every country, Israel has an inherent right to defend itself,” he said in a statement.

“The vile attempt to deny Israel this fundamental right is blatant discrimination against the Jewish state, and it was justly rejected,” the statement added.

Netanyahu’s statement follows a South Africa-led case before the ICJ earlier this month, seeking to grant emergency measures to halt the Israel-Hamas fighting, which has claimed the lives of more than 26,000 Palestinians. The African nation initiated the trial, accusing Israel of state-led genocide in its offensive, which began after Hamas stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and kidnapping more than 240 during its initial rampage on October 7.

Israel sought to have the case thrown out. It has called South Africa’s allegations false and “grossly distorted”, and said it makes the utmost efforts to avoid civilian casualties (in Gaza).

WORLD COURT ORDER SILENT ON CEASEFIRE

The World Court ordered Israel on Friday to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by South Africa.

In Friday’s ruling, the judges said Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide and take steps to improve the humanitarian situation. In the highly-anticipated ruling, rendered by a bench of 17 judges, the ICJ decided not to throw out the case and ordered six so-called provisional measures to protect Palestinians in Gaza.

“The court is acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy that is unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering,” Joan E Donoghue, the court’s president, said.

Notably, Friday’s order is only an interim one. Experts say it could take years for a full closure of the case brought by South Africa. Meanwhile, South Africa has asked the world court “as a matter of extreme urgency” to impose provisional measures.

At the top of the South African list was a plea for the court to order Israel to “immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza”. But the International Court of Justice declined to that request.