Israel accuses South Africa of false claims at ICJ genocide case

Israel has accused South Africa of manipulating reality in its bid to persuade the UN’s highest court to halt its military campaign in Rafah, southern Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) began two days of hearings on Thursday, with South Africa telling the court that Israel aimed to “wipe the Palestinians off the face of the Earth,” referring to Rafah as “the final stand.”

Lawyers for Israel will give their response to the court on Friday.

The court is already investigating a complaint filed by South Africa in January accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel denounced the assertion as incorrect and “grossly distorted.”

South Africa’s latest case also seeks to compel Israel to grant “unimpeded access” to Gaza for relief workers, journalists, and investigators.

South Africa presented its case to the court in The Hague, accusing Israel of increasing what it calls a genocidal campaign against Palestinians.

The Rafah campaign was “the last step in the destruction of Gaza and its Palestinian people,” said South African attorney Vaughan Lowe KC in court.

Israel began its attack on Hamas in Rafah 11 days ago, amid warnings from the UN and others of a grave risk to civilians. More than a million displaced people had taken refuge in Rafah and more than 630,000 have now fled from there since the start of the operation, the UN says.

Israel says its offensive in Rafah is necessary in order to destroy the last remaining Hamas battalions which are based there and to rescue some 130 remaining Israeli hostages who it believes are being held there.

South Africa has accused Israel of genocide, which Israel vehemently rejects
Genocidal Acts.

In January, in a highly charged case which was closely watched around the world, the ICJ ordered Israel to take measures to prevent potentially genocidal acts in Gaza. It also ordered Israel to do more to enable the provision of aid to the people there.

The then president of the court, Joan Donoghue, told the BBC last month that the ICJ did not decide that there was a plausible case for genocide, but rather that the Palestinians had a right to be protected from genocide.

The International Court of Justice is not likely to rule on the genocide case for several years. Its decisions are legally binding but, in reality, unenforceable by the court.

South Africa’s governing party, which has a long history of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, has filed its fourth case with the International Court of Justice over Israel’s activities in Gaza.

Israel began its offensive in Gaza after terrorists from the dominant Palestinian party Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and holding 252 more captive.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, Israel has killed at least 35,303 individuals in the war since then.