Israel will have to halt fighting in the besieged Gaza strip if it wants to adhere to the orders of the International Court of Justice, South Africa's minister of international relations said on Friday after a ruling by the U.N.'s top court.

In a case brought by South Africa, the World Court ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians - although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

"How do you provide aid and water without a ceasefire? If you read the order, by implication a ceasefire must happen," minister Naledi Pandor said on the steps of the seat of the court in The Hague, Netherlands.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Hugh Lawson)