On the first day of the hearing at the International Court of Justice, ICJ, South Africa, argued that Israel’s air and ground assaults on Gaza were intended to bring about the destruction of its Palestinian population, and that comments made by Israeli leaders, signalled their genocidal intent.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group’s murderous rampage on October 7, when more than one thousand two hundred people were killed and two hundred and forty hostages were taken back to Gaza.
South Africa condemned Hamas’ attacks, but said nothing could justify Israel’s response, which has killed more than twenty three thousand people in Gaza.
The ICJ, based in The Hague in the Netherlands, was set up in June 1945 and hears cases brought by states accusing others of violating their UN treaty obligations.
South Africa and Israel are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, meaning they are obliged not to commit genocide and to prevent and punish it.
