Supporters during the ANC KZN Palestinian Solidarity March on October 26, 2023 in Durban, South Africa. The group is standing in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance against Israeli and over the war in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) holds public hearings in the case South Africa v. Israel. SA makes its argument today that in Israel’s war against Hamas, that country is committing genocide of the Palestinian people.
South Africa instituted proceedings at the ICJ in December against Israel over alleged genocide in its retaliatory strikes against Hamas in Gaza since early October last year, which have left thousands of Palestinian civilians dead.
In a statement, the ICJ said South Africa filed an application concerning alleged violations by Israel “of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”, known as the Genocide Convention.
It said according to the application, “acts and omissions by Israel … are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group”.