The International Court of Justice has given Israel a further two months to submit its written defense in South Africa’s case alleging genocide over the Gaza war, extending the deadline to March 12, 2026.
In an Oct. 20 order, ICJ President Judge Yuji Iwasawa granted the extension after Israel said it faced unresolved evidentiary issues and was tied up in related UN proceedings. Israel argued some South African references were provided via hyperlinks rather than placed on the official record, complicating assessment of their evidentiary weight.
The court’s schedule has shifted several times. South Africa filed its Memorial by the original Oct. 28, 2024 deadline. Israel’s Counter-Memorial was initially due July 28, 2025. In April 2025, the court gave Israel roughly five and a half more months, moving its deadline to Jan. 12, 2026, after Pretoria opposed a six-month delay. Israel sought another extension on Oct. 14.
South Africa objected again, saying further delay would undercut the urgency of the case and upset procedural balance. The ICJ said it considered both sides before approving Israel’s request and noted that subsequent steps in the proceedings will be set later.
The case forms part of a broader legal and diplomatic battle over the conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 68,200 people have been killed and over 170,300 injured since then; Israel rejects genocide allegations and says it is fighting Hamas.