South Africa’s Accusations
Kicking off the two days of hearing in The Hague, South Africa accused Israel of stepping up ‘genocide’ in Gaza. South Africa alleged that “Israel’s genocide has continued apace and has just reached a new and horrific stage.”
Israel’s Response
Israel, on the other hand, slammed South Africa for its International Court of Justice (ICJ) case. Israel claimed that the ‘genocide’ allegations were “presenting biased and false claims” that “rely on unreliable Hamas sources.”
A statement from the Israel Foreign Ministry emphasized that “Israel acts in accordance with international law and its humanitarian obligations, while implementing measures to minimize harm to civilians and civilian facilities.” Israel called on the ICJ to reject South Africa’s appeal and put an end to the abuse of the Court.
South Africa’s Demands
South Africa implored the world court to order a ceasefire throughout Gaza. The country contends that the current situation, especially the operation in the city of Rafah, requires fresh ICJ action to protect Palestinians from genocide.
ICJ’s Previous Orders
- In January, the ICJ had ordered Tel Aviv to prevent genocidal acts and enable humanitarian aid to Gaza.
- The court, however, had not ordered a ceasefire at that time.
Legal Arguments
Vaughan Lowe, a lawyer for South Africa, argued that the Rafah campaign is “the last step in the destruction of Gaza and its Palestinian people.” He emphasized the need for protection from genocide for all Palestinians as a national, ethnical, and racial group.
Israel’s Rebuttal
Israel’s foreign ministry spokesperson criticized South Africa’s claims as morally and factually distorted. Israel views South Africa’s accusations as an abuse of the Genocide Convention and the ICJ.
Upcoming Response
Israel is scheduled to respond to South Africa’s ‘genocide’ accusations on Friday.