At world court, South Africa accuses Israel of Gaza genocide

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, January 11

South Africa accused Israel on Thursday of subjecting Palestinians to “one of the most brutal aerial bombings in the history of human warfare” and called on the International Court of Justice to order an emergency suspension of its military operations to stop “the destruction of the population” of Gaza.

South Africa has filed a complaint against Israel for “genocide” in Gaza with the ICJ, which is also popularly called the “world court”. The legal battle may last several years, but Israel’s immediate focus will be to prevent an interim order that could force a ceasefire in Gaza.

The provisional measures requested by South Africa to cease hostilities, if taken by the ICJ, will be legally binding. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently touring Israel’s neighbouring countries in an attempt to take Israel off the ICJ’s hook.

On the first day of hearing, South Africa’s advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi said the intent behind Israel’s aerial and ground offensive to destroy Gaza was nurtured at the highest level of state which included its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The evidence of genocidal intent is not only chilling, it is also overwhelming and incontrovertible,” he said while requesting for indication of provisional measures to stop Israel from deliberately imposing living conditions intended to bring about the physical destruction of Gazans as a group, and to allow access to humanitarian aid.

Faced with a toll of more than 22,100 people killed between mid-October and January 3, South Africa invoked “its rights and obligations” to prevent genocide and “protect the Palestinians of Gaza from destruction”.

Israel has rejected the accusations of genocide as “false and baseless” and accused South Africa of playing “advocate of the devil” in a reference to Hamas. An Israeli government spokesperson said the case “lacks both a factual and legal basis, and constitutes a despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the court”.

Another case at the ICJ against Israel is already in progress and has been brought by the UN General Assembly.