South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ):

Facts

   1.    The case is ongoing and was initially brought by South Africa to the ICJ on December 29, 2023. It is not delayed beyond December 23, 2023 as the query suggests.
   2.    South Africa recently attempted to delay the deadline for submitting evidence to support its claim in the main proceedings of the case. Specifically:
   •    South Africa had an obligation to submit its reasons for continuing the case and any evidence by October 28, 2024.
   •    The country reportedly tried to extend this deadline by several months due to a lack of sufficient evidence to prove its case.
   •    This attempt to delay was seen as unusual, as parties accusing a country of genocide typically push for a quick ruling.
   3.    However, the ICJ refused South Africa’s request to postpone the deadline to submit evidence. The court maintained the original timeline for the submission of evidence.
   4.    The case itself is expected to take many years to conclude. Previous cases under the Genocide Convention at the ICJ have taken over a decade before a final decision was issued.
   5.    The initial ruling on January 26, 2024 only addressed provisional measures and did not decide on the merits of the genocide allegations. A final verdict on the case could take several years.

Conclusion

South Africa attempted to delay a key deadline in the case, this request was denied by the ICJ. The case is proceeding as originally scheduled, though a final verdict is still expected to be years away.