Iraq accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza in a hearing at ICJ
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Iraq asserted that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide.
Haider Shia al-Barrak, Iraq’s ICJ representative and head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented Iraq’s arguments at the ICJ hearings declaring that ”Israeli violations against the Palestinians is a genocide.”
Al-Barrak expressed deep concern for the Palestinians’ suffering, particularly in Gaza, due to the “barbaric actions of the Israeli occupation against civilians.”
Calling for the International Court to take decisive action, al-Barrak stressed the need to “preserve the dignified and safe life of the Palestinians.”
It is noteworthy that the ICJ is currently receiving input from approximately 50 countries expressing their views on the Israeli war against Gaza.
Iran, Jordan, Japan, and China submitted their arguments calling for an immediate ceasefire, while Israel did not participate.
Public hearings, initiated last Monday in response to the United Nations General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s policies in Palestinian territories, have drawn attention to the ongoing conflict.
In December 2023, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel in Court, accusing it of “genocide” in Gaza and urging immediate measures. Subsequently, the court ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide without calling for a ceasefire, urging Tel Aviv to take immediate steps to facilitate providing basic services and humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel’s aggression in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 29,300 Palestinians since October 7, including 12,300 children, and injured about 70,000, with 7000 missing.
The war has displaced around 80% of the Palestinians in Gaza and left a quarter of the population starving..
According to the latest data from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Palestinian government as of February 13, Israeli attacks have damaged more than half of Gaza’s homes, 392 educational facilities, 11 out of 35 hospitals are partially functioning, 123 ambulances, and 267 places of worship.
