Israel defends against South Africa's genocide accusations at ICJ

Shafaq News/ Israel planned to defend itself against accusations of genocide in Gaza brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the allegations as hypocritical, and Israel vehemently denied the charges, describing them as one of the largest cases before an international court.

South African lawyers called on the ICJ to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza, alleging that the conflict is part of long-standing Israeli oppression of Palestinians.

Israeli leaders took the unusual step of sending a legal team to engage with the ICJ to counter the accusations.

South African lawyers argued that the scale of destruction in Gaza, the targeting of civilians, and the impact on children indicate genocidal intent by Israel. The case's "distinctive feature" was highlighted as "the reiteration and repetition of genocidal speech throughout every sphere of the state in Israel."

Netanyahu, in response, pledged to continue fighting against Hamas, stating, "The state of Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting genocide. The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens."

The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that over 23,000 people have been killed during the Israeli military campaign.

South African lawyers appealed for the ICJ to intervene, asserting that only a court order can alleviate the suffering. The decision on South Africa's request for "provisional measures" is expected in the coming weeks, while the full case could extend over years.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat criticized South Africa's presentation as "one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy" and referred to the legal team as "Hamas' representatives in court," accusing them of distorting the reality in Gaza through baseless and false claims.