On January 27 1995, Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Laureate, and lifelong advocate for human rights, stood at the gates of Auschwitz. Addressing world leaders on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of that infernal place, he uttered words that still echo in the global conscience: “Remember the morality of the human condition, if not here… Let us reject and oppose more effectively religious fanaticism and racial hate.”

Wiesel had endured the unimaginable. Imprisoned at Auschwitz, he lost his parents and sister to the very machinery of genocide. Yet he rose – not in hatred, but in moral courage. His words, his books, and his life’s work became a clarion call to remember, to never forget, and above all, to ensure that such darkness never shrouded humanity again.

And yet, history has shown – againand again – that humanity rarely learns from its past. Today, nearly 80 years after the Holocaust, we are witnessing another chapter of profound human suffering. This time, in Gaza.

Elie Wiesel.

🔵 A cycle repeating: tragedy in Gaza

On October 7 2023, Hamas carried out a brutal attack on Israeli soil—killing over 1,200 civilians and taking around 240 hostages, including children, infants, and the elderly. The pain and outrage this provoked are understandable. No society should ever endure such terror.

But Israel’s response, as the international community watches, has raised deep moral and legal concerns. The devastation inflicted upon Gaza has been staggering–tens of thousands of civilian casualties, homes reduced to rubble, and entire communities deprived of the most basic necessities of life. As of July 2025, the death toll exceeds sixty thousand. This is not a proportionate response; it is a humanitarian catastrophe.

It is a fundamental tenet of international law that war has limits. Civilians must be protected. Disproportionate force is prohibited. Deliberate deprivation of food, medicine, electricity, and water– tools of collective punishment–is not an act of war; it is a violations of human dignity. And, potentially, crimes.

🔵 Pursuit of justice: the role of the ICJ and ICC

In December 2023, South Africa invoked the Genocide Convention and brought a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that Israel is committing acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Genocide, narrowly defined under Article II of the Convention, requires not just mass killings but demonstrable intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.

South Africa has presented extensive evidence–statements of intent, systematic deprivation of life-sustaining resources, and widespread destruction–as indicators of genocidal purpose. This case is being closely watched by the world.

Separately, in November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hamas’ military leader Mohammed Deif was also charged, though he has since died. These developments mark a historic moment in the pursuit of accountability.

Still, questions abound: Will these warrants ever be executed? Will the perpetrators of international crimes, no matter their power or nationality, ever truly face justice?

🔵 Justice in a divided world

The ICC and ICJ serve distinct yet complementary roles. The ICJ addresses disputes between states, such as the South Africa v. Israel case. However, international law does not recognize the concept of “state crime”. States are legal entities – moral persons – but they cannot be imprisoned or prosecuted. Their leaders, however, can be held accountable under the Rome Statute of the ICC, which targets individual criminal responsibility for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.

Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute. Yet the ICC maintains jurisdiction because the alleged crimes occurred on Palestinian territory, and Palestine is a recognized State Party. Israel contests this, denying Palestine’s statehood and thus rejecting the ICC’s legitimacy in this case. It is a complex and contested legal terrain.

But beyond the legal technicalities lies a deeper truth: Justice, if it is to mean anything, must transcend power. It must be blind to politics and resolute in its pursuit. The ICC describes itself as “an important link in a global fight to end impunity.” And yet, impunity remains a stubborn reality – especially when justice is inconvenient to the powerful.

🔵 Memory, morality, and the mandate of History

Elie Wiesel once asked: “What kind of demented mind could have invented this system?”– referring to the Nazi regime that engineered the Holocaust. It is a question that reverberates today, in Gaza, in the courts of The Hague, and in the hearts of all who still believe in the sanctity of life.

The world stood at Auschwitz in 1995 and vowed “never again.” Today, in Gaza, we must ask: Has “never again” become “again and again”?

It is not enough to mourn the past. We must act in the present. International justice is not merely a mechanism of law – it is a promise to the future. A promise that the suffering of one people will not become the template for the suffering of another. That the tears of yesterday will inform the conscience of today.

May we find the courage to listen – truly listen – to the “silent screams” of those who suffer. And may we find the resolve to ensure that justice is not just an ideal, but a lived reality.