The Hague, Jan. 5: The UN’s top court will hear submissions next week from South Africa and Israel after Pretoria opened a case for what it called Israel’s “genocidal” acts in Gaza.
South Africa wants to International Court of Justice (ICJ) to urgently order Israel to stop its aggression on Gaza.
The ICJ “will hold public hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague… in proceedings instituted by South Africa against Israel,” on January 11 and 12, the court said in a statement.
The South African application, filed last Friday, related to violations by Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention, saying that “Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
South Africa, amongst other urgent measures, is asking the court to order that “Israel shall immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza” and that both countries “take all reasonable measures within their power to prevent genocide.”
Israel’s ongoing Gaza offensive has killed more than 22,400 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
South Africa will present its arguments on Thursday of next week, while Israel is set to counter on Friday.
Set up after World War II, the ICJ is the UN’s highest legal body and rules in disputes between countries. Decisions are legally binding, but the court has little power to enforce them.
Not surprisingly, Israel has rejected the charges South Africa has leveled against it. The United States has also slammed South Africa for its case against Israel at ICJ, and rejected all charges South Africa has made against the occupying entity.
