Israel to counter genocide allegations at UN court

On Friday, Israel will address charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after South Africa requested the court to mandate a ceasefire in Gaza.

This marks the third hearing the ICJ has conducted regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict since South Africa initiated proceedings in December at the court in The Hague.

On Thursday, South Africa argued that the situation in Gaza has reached “a new and horrific stage,” urging the 15 judges to take immediate action. Vusimuzi Madonsela, South Africa’s ambassador to the Netherlands, insisted that Israel must “totally and unconditionally withdraw” from the Gaza Strip.

South Africa has made four requests for the ICJ to investigate Israel, asserting that Israel’s military activities in Rafah threaten the “very survival of Palestinians in Gaza.”

In previous hearings this year, Israel has vehemently denied committing genocide in Gaza, stating that it targets only Hamas militants and takes measures to avoid civilian casualties. Israel claims Rafah is Hamas’s last stronghold.

In January, the judges instructed Israel to prevent death, destruction, and any acts of genocide in Gaza but stopped short of ordering an end to military actions.

The court has acknowledged a “real and imminent risk” to the Palestinian population in Gaza due to Israel’s military operations.

Irish lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, part of South Africa’s legal team, emphasized the urgency, saying, “This may well be the last chance for the court to act.”

The ICJ has the authority to order a ceasefire and other measures, but lacks enforcement power. For example, a 2022 ICJ order for Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine has been ignored.

Since the conflict began, most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced. The war started on October 7 with a Hamas attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 35,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, though their count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

South Africa began its legal campaign in December 2023, seeing it as integral to its identity. The African National Congress, South Africa’s ruling party, has long compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank to the apartheid regime that ended in 1994.

On Sunday, Egypt announced its intention to join the case, with several other countries also planning to intervene. So far, Libya, Nicaragua, and Colombia have formally requested to participate.