Israel preparing to defend itself against South Africa’s genocide accusations at International Court of Justice
Israel is preparing to defend itself in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague, Netherlands, against South Africa’s accusation that it has committed genocide in Gaza.
On Dec. 29, 2023, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the ICJ for violating the 1948 Genocide Convention and committing acts that meet the threshold of genocide under international law. The actions of Israel demonstrate a specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.
Among the charges South Africa is accusing Israel of is failing to prevent genocide and not prosecuting direct and public incitement to genocide. The ICJ has published an 84-page document outlining the detailed measures South Africa is requesting be done against Israel, with the first being to compel Israel to suspend all military operations in Gaza immediately.
South Africa is also demanding that Israelis in West Jerusalem cease all assaults on Palestinians and revoke all orders that will expel or otherwise forcibly expel Palestinians and deny them their essential human rights.
The country’s appeal before the ICJ underscores what it believes to be a need to bring those involved in direct incitement to genocide to justice. The ICJ’s rules give the appeal priority over other cases due to the request for immediate provisional measures.
The decision to go before the ICJ also comes after South Africa earlier considered bringing up war crimes charges against Israel before the International Criminal Court.
Israel denies genocide allegations despite recorded data
Israel has denied all of the accusations of genocide. Government spokesman Eylon Levy has accused South Africa of giving Hamas “political and legal cover” for its attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed over a thousand Israelis and triggered the military response against Gaza.
“The State of Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice in Hague to dispel South Africa’s absurd blood libel. We assure South Africa’s leaders, history will judge you, and it will judge you without mercy,” Levy said in an online briefing.
Levy outlined the measures Israel has allegedly taken to minimize harm to noncombatants during the conflict and stressed that Hamas bears the full moral responsibility for initiating the war. He further accused the group of using human shields by operating within civilian institutions such as hospitals, schools, mosques, homes and United Nations-run facilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his support for Levy’s statement as he vowed to continue the war until Hamas is defeated and the more than 100 remaining hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza are freed. Netanyahu has even suggested that the military campaign might be extended for several more months – a prospect that will no doubt only lead to thousands more Palestinians in Gaza being killed.
Since Israel initiated its fierce air, ground and sea offensive in Gaza, the Gaza Health Ministry has reported that over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed, with around two-thirds of those casualties being women and children. Israel claims without sufficient evidence that its forces have killed over 8,000 Hamas militants.
Eighty-five percent of Gaza’s population has already been displaced. Many have sought refuge in overcrowded shelters or tent camps in areas designated by the Israeli Defense Forces as “safe” areas yet are still subjected to military bombings and sniper attacks.
The UN has even warned that over a quarter of Gaza’s remaining residents now face the imminent threat of starvation due to Israel throttling the flow of humanitarian relief goods coming in through Gaza’s only border crossing with Egypt.
yogaesoteric
January 8, 2024