Israel is set to respond today, Friday, to accusations made against it by South Africa at the United Nations' International Court of Justice, which claim that the military operation it is conducting in the Gaza Strip is a genocide campaign aimed at eliminating the Palestinian population. South Africa, which filed the lawsuit in December, requested the court judges yesterday, Thursday, to impose urgent measures ordering Israel to immediately halt its attack.
South Africa stated that the Israeli aerial and ground assault, which has destroyed vast areas of the narrow coastal enclave and killed over 23,000 Palestinians according to health authorities in Gaza, aims to "exterminate the population" in Gaza.
Israel has rejected the allegations of genocide, calling them baseless, and stated that South Africa is acting as a mouthpiece for Hamas, which seeks the destruction of Israel and is regarded as a terrorist organization by many Western countries.
Israel launched its comprehensive military campaign in Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, which Israeli officials said killed 1,200, mostly civilians, and also resulted in the abduction of 240 hostages in the territory.
Supporters of the Palestinians organized a march in The Hague carrying flags and intend to follow the proceedings on a giant screen in front of the Peace Palace. Supporters of Israel are organizing a gathering of families of the hostages held by Hamas.
The decisions of the International Court of Justice are final and not subject to appeal, but the court lacks the means to enforce its rulings. The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which was established following the mass murder of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group."
Since Israel began its military campaign, nearly all of the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip have been forced to displace from their homes at least once, resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe. South Africa has long defended the Palestinian cause after the apartheid era, a relationship that was formed when the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Yasser Arafat, supported the African National Congress’s struggle against white minority rule.
The court is expected to issue a ruling on potential urgent measures this month, but it will not rule on the genocide accusations at that time, as that matter could take years.
