South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and has appealed to the United Nations’ top court to order an immediate halt to Israel’s military operation.
South African lawyers argued that the Gaza war is part of a long-standing oppression of Palestinians by Israel and sought binding preliminary orders to compel Israel to stop its military campaign.
Israel has vehemently denied the allegations, stating it is battling a fierce enemy in Gaza and follows international law to avoid harm to civilians. (Trending: Anthony Fauci Questioned About Evidence Behind COVID Restrictions)
South Africa's legal team in the genocide case against Israel at the ICJ has arrived back at OR Tambo International airport.
Those people deserve more than that celebration! pic.twitter.com/fblFyay9aK— Inés☀️ 🇵🇸 (@inesal99) January 14, 2024
The case is significant and reflects the complexity of the Israel-Palestine conflict and its implications for both countries’ national identities.
“Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies as a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African lawyer Adila Hassim stated.
“Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court,” she said.
“The scale of destruction in Gaza, the targeting of family homes and civilians, the war being a war on children, all make clear that genocidal intent is both understood and has been put into practice. The articulated intent is the destruction of Palestinian life,” attorney Tembeka Ngcukaitobi stated.
“What state would admit to a genocidal intent? Yet the distinctive feature of this case has not been the silence as such, but the reiteration and repetition of genocidal speech throughout every sphere of the state in Israel,” he said.
The court’s decision on the request for provisional measures is pending, and the case is expected to last for years.
“The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023. The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years,” South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said.
“Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
“Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law.”
“Mothers, fathers, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts, cousins are often all killed together. This killing is nothing short of destruction of Palestinian life. It is inflicted deliberately. No one is spared. Not even newborn babies,” Hassim said.
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