Amnesty International on Friday stated that South Africa must “seize [the] opportunity to show principled global leadership,” urging action against Israel’s actions in Gaza ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit in Johannesburg.

The rights group noted that South Africa must use all its power in the upcoming summit to “compel Israeli authorities” to stop the genocide and human rights crisis in Gaza, complying with the principles of international and humanitarian law.

Additionally, Amnesty criticized the international community’s “complicity or inaction” regarding Israel’s genocide, and the continuous attacks by several Western governments against the international justice system. It especially cited the US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Article 86 of the Rome Statute requires all state parties to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating and prosecuting genocide. According to this provision, states must take all the necessary measures within their power to ensure accountability for mass atrocities and prevent impunity.

Furthermore, Article I of the Genocide Convention establishes a binding obligation for states to prevent and punish genocide, a duty reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its South Africa v. Israel order.

According to Genocide Watch, countries do not need a court ruling to determine that genocide is happening and thus act on their legal obligation to prevent it. Courts usually issue rulings only after a genocide has occurred, which is too late for “prevention.”

In September, a UN commission concluded that Israeli authorities have committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and that the “Israel bears responsibility for the failure to prevent genocide, the commission of genocide and the failure to punish genocide.”

Israel is a party to the Genocide Convention but not the Rome Statute. The ICC still exercises jurisdiction over Gaza due to Palestine’s accession to the Rome Statute.