South Africa Files Lawsuit Against Israel, Which Rebuffs Claims

The International Court of Justice announced that "South Africa has initiated proceedings against Israel, accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to its attacks on Palestinians in Gaza." In response, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the lawsuit filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, claiming it lacks a legal basis. The statement noted: "South Africa is cooperating with a terrorist group that calls for the destruction of Israel... The people of Gaza are not Israel's enemy, which is making efforts to minimize harm to civilians." The Israeli Foreign Ministry requested the International Court of Justice to "urgently declare that Israel is violating its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, and that it must immediately cease all actions and measures that violate those obligations and take several related actions." The UN's International Court of Justice is tasked with resolving disputes between states. South Africa supports the Palestinian endeavor to establish a state in territories occupied by Israel for decades and likens the plight of the Palestinians to that of the black majority in South Africa during the repressive apartheid era, which Israel vehemently denies.