With the commencement of hearings at the International Court of Justice on Thursday regarding the case filed against Israel for alleged genocide in Gaza, attention has turned to the judges of the court, which consists of 15 judges from 15 countries around the world. Among these judges, there are three Arab judges, representing 20% of the votes that will determine whether to accept or reject the case.
**Moroccan Judge Mohammed Bennouna**
Mohammed Bennouna is a former diplomat born in Marrakech in 1943. He served as Morocco's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2001 to 2006 and has a long career in international law and serving in international judicial bodies.
**Somali Judge Abdiqawi Ahmed Yusuf**
Abdiqawi Ahmed Yusuf is an expert in international law with extensive experience in the field. He is a member of the Institute of International Law and also a member of the tribunal of the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Additionally, he is on the board of directors of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration.
**Lebanese Judge Naufal Salam**
Naufal Salam, born in 1953, is a judge at the International Court of Justice. He obtained his doctorate in political science from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris in 1992 and holds a master's degree in law from Harvard Law School, as well as a doctorate in history from the Sorbonne University. He has worked as a lecturer at the Sorbonne and as a visiting researcher at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard, in addition to practicing law. He served as Lebanon's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in New York from 2007 to 2017.
