On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to elaborate on what Ottawa would do in the event that the ICJ finds Israel guilty of genocide. He reiterated his previous comments, saying that although Canada supports the ICJ and its processes, it does not agree with the premise of the genocide case brought forward by South Africa.
The prime minister, however, said that Ottawa was "watching carefully" as the process at the ICJ unfolded.
"At a time when the world’s leading liberal democracies and many of Canada’s closest allies and G7 members – including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany – are unequivocally rejecting South Africa’s cynical application, Israel urges Canada to leave no room for misinterpretation on a matter that is crystal clear," Moed said in a statement.
The envoy’s comment echoes remarks he made during a Sunday interview, when he said that Israel would have preferred a stronger statement by Trudeau. The ambassador stated, however, that Canada has been "very clear" about its support for Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself in accordance with international law.
South Africa filed a lawsuit with the ICJ in December, accusing Israel of genocidal intent in Gaza amid a rising civilian death toll in the besieged Palestinian enclave. It seeks to prove that Israel's military campaign is genocidal in nature and targets Gazans as a part of the broader Palestinian people.
On January 11-12, the top United Nations court in The Hague held public hearings on South Africa's suit. In its address, South Africa's representatives urged the ICJ to obligate Israel to end its military operation in the Gaza Strip, ensure that the enclave's residents have access to food, water and humanitarian aid, and abstain from actions that could worsen the situation. Israel, for its part, argued that the escalation of conflict in the Gaza Strip started with Hamas' October 7 attack and insisted on its right to self-defense.