Following South Africa’s application against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Court has issued an order setting 22 November 2027 as the deadline for South Africa to file its Reply to Israel’s written submissions.
According to President Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, Israel will then have until 22 May 2029 to submit its Rejoinder.
“The ICJ’s order follows a meeting held on 29 April 2026 in The Hague between representatives of the parties and the President of the Court, who convened the session to discuss the next procedural steps in the case,” said Magwenya.
He further noted that Israel raised objections to the Court’s jurisdiction in its Counter-Memorial, which was submitted in March 2026.
“As Israel has now objected to the jurisdiction of the Court in its Counter-Memorial, South Africa will be required to respond to these objections in its Reply,” he added.
Meanwhile, Middle East analyst Naeem Jeena told VOC News that the proceedings are likely to remain lengthy.
“Israel submitted its Counter-Memorial in March 2026 rather than January 2026. The Court has now given South Africa until November 2027 to respond, while Israel has until May 2029 to file its Rejoinder,” said Jeena.
“This means that a final judgment may only be delivered towards the end of 2029, highlighting just how prolonged this legal process is likely to be.”
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Photo: @CIJ_ICJ/X
