- South Africa has opened a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide.
- Israel responded to the proceedings application by calling it a "blood libel."
South Africa has opened a case against Israel at the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the Jewish state of genocide.
The application instituting proceedings against Israel based on the basis of alleged violations of the "Genocide Convention" as Israel's military campaign on Gaza continues.
"According to the Application, acts and omissions by Israel are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group," stated an ICJ press release.
While the resolution of any ICJ case typically takes years, South Africa urges the court to convene quickly and issue provisional measures, including a cease-fire.
South Africa's official proceedings application addressed to the Registrar of the ICJ in The Hague, in The Netherlands, requests that the Court indicate provisional measures "to ensure Israel's compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention not to engage in genocide, and to prevent and to punish genocide."
Such measures played a role in the ICJ's previous order to Russia to halt its offensive in Ukraine, although Moscow did not comply.
Citing Article IX of the Genocide Convention, which allows any state party to bring a case to the ICJ, South Africa stressed its right to address the situation, even without a direct link to the conflict.
Previous ICJ rulings, such as the Gambia's case against Myanmar, set a precedent for such claims.
South Africa wrote that "Israel, since 7 October 2023 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide" and that "Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza."
The official document also condemns Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for taking hostages and targeting civilians.
Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza began after thousands of gunmen invaded southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, abducting 240 hostages, and committing multiple terrorist atrocities, including mutilations and rapes.
In November, South Africa opted to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel. South African lawmakers voted to shut down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.
Israel has vehemently rejected the accusations, labeling them as a "blood libel" and urging the ICJ to dismiss the case.
Israel's foreign ministry spokesperson criticized South Africa's case, dismissing it as a "despicable and contemptuous exploitation" lacking factual and legal grounds.
Israel rejects with disgust the blood libel spread by South Africa in its application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
— Lior Haiat (@LiorHaiat) December 29, 2023
South Africa's claim lacks both a factual and a legal basis, and constitutes a despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the Court.
South Africa… pic.twitter.com/dqyhY8WYE0
Yesterday, the IDF said that 168 Israeli soldiers had died in the ground operation in Gaza, per The Times of Israel. Over 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and at least 55,000 have been injured, per Al Jazeera.
One hundred Palestinians have been killed and 158 wounded in Israeli strikes in central Gaza during the past 24 hours, a senior health official in Gaza said on Saturday, per The Telegraph.