South Africa accuses Israel of maintaining “a pattern of genocidal behavior” in Gaza

South Africa on Thursday accused Israel of maintaining a “pattern of genocidal conduct” in the Gaza Strip with “mass murders”, “forced displacement” and “serious physical or mental harm” of Palestinian civilians, an accusation made during a hearing before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in The Hague.

He assures that the “genocidal acts” of which he accuses Israel “are not marginal, and are incorporated into the state policy” of Tel Aviv, and pointed out as proof the “language of systematic dehumanization” used by senior Israeli officials to describe the Palestinians of Gaza as “human animals.”

“Israel’s genocidal intent is rooted in the belief that the enemy is not just the military wing of Hamas, or even Hamas in general, but is embedded in the fabric of Palestinian life in Gaza. Israel is the occupying power that controls Gaza. It controls entry, exit and internal movement within Gaza,” said South African lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, during a hearing before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Palestinians are at “immediate risk of dying from hunger, dehydration and disease due to the siege, the destruction of Palestinian cities, the insufficient access of aid allowed to the Palestinian population and the inability to distribute that limited aid while the bombs fall,” he warned. also the South African lawyer Adila Hassim.

South Africa denounces Israel for “genocide” before the International Court of Justice

Furthermore, he assured that Israel “has killed an incomparable and unprecedented number of civilians with full knowledge of how many civilian lives each bomb will claim” and demanded that the ICJ impose urgent precautionary measures on Tel Aviv to protect the Palestinians in Gaza.

Enumeration of crimes

Hassim listed as crimes that represent a “genocidal act” the “mass murders”, the “forced displacement” of the population of Gaza, and the “serious physical and mental damage” caused by the military offensive, in addition to what he defined as “the Israeli military attack on Gaza’s healthcare system, which makes life unsustainable.”

“Palestinians in Gaza are subjected to constant bombing wherever they go: in their homes, in places where they seek refuge, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, and while they try to find food and water for their families. They have been killed if they fail to evacuate, and in the places they flee to. And even when they try to flee through the supposed safe routes declared by Israel,” the lawyer described in her presentation.

All of these acts, “individually and collectively,” the lawyer noted, “form a pattern of calculated behavior that indicates genocidal intent, which is evident in Israeli conduct in special attacks against Palestinians living in Gaza, using weapons that cause destruction.” large-scale homicide” and in “direct attacks against civilians.”

South Africa accused “Israeli political leaders, military commanders, and persons holding official positions” of publicly declaring their “systematic and explicit genocidal intent.”

He also assured that “soldiers on the ground clearly understand the intention to destroy” the Strip as the objective of the military offensive, which began after the attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, which left more than 1,200 dead.

The case before the ICJ

The case before the ICJ focuses on Israel’s alleged violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted in 1948 and in force in 152 countries.

But the hearings today and tomorrow will not yet go into the merits of the case, and will only focus on the need for precautionary measures requested by South Africa against Israel to “protect the rights of the Palestinian people against greater, serious and irreparable harm” in Gaza, according to documents sent by South Africa to the ICJ at the end of December.

“Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks that indisputably show a pattern of conduct and related intent that justifies a plausible assertion of acts of genocide,” Hassim said today.

Since the attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 dead, the Israeli Army has carried out a strong offensive on Gaza that has left the enclave devastated, with more than 23,300 Palestinians dead, more than 60,000 injured, and 1.9 million displaced in a territory inhabited by 2.3 million people.

Hamas expects ICJ to hold Israel accountable for war crimes

For its part, Hamas said it hopes the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will demand an end to the offensive on Gaza and blame Israel for war crimes.

“We hope that the court will issue a decision that does justice to the victims, calling for the aggression to stop and holding war criminals responsible,” said Basem Naeem, a member of the political office of the Islamist group in the Strip, on the 97th day of war.

The ANP asks countries to support South Africa

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) described as “historic” the process opened in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to deliberate on the complaint of genocide against Israel by South Africa, and urged more countries to support the African country’s initiative. .

The ICJ has 15 elected judges

The ICJ has 15 judges elected by the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Security Council. The ICJ statute also gives the right to countries involved in a case to appoint an ‘ad hoc’ judge of their nationality, if there is not one already on the panel of judges. South Africa and Israel each appointed one additional judge.

“The South African genocide case opens a legal process at the world’s highest court to credibly examine Israel’s conduct in Gaza in hopes of reducing further suffering,” said Balkees Jarrah, associate director of the NGO Human Rights Watch. .

Netanyahu rejects accusation of genocide and defends the fight “against terrorism”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted this Thursday that Israel fights “against terrorism and lies,” alluding to the accusation of genocide presented by South Africa before the UN International Court of Justice.

“Today we once again see a world turned upside down: the State of Israel is accused of genocide while fighting against genocide,” said the prime minister in a video message after finishing the first hearing on that procedure in The Hague.

Reactions to South Africa’s complaint against Israel

United Nations experts welcomed the beginning of the hearings. “We commend South Africa for bringing this case to the ICJ at a time when the rights of Palestinians in Gaza are being violated with impunity,” said in a statement, including the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanese.

The secretary general of the Arab League, Ahmed Abulgueit, said the day before, in statements to the press, that he “fully supports the lawsuit against Israel, and hopes for “a fair sentence that stops this hostile war and puts an end to the shedding of Palestinian blood.” .

“The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes the action of the South African Government as responsible, brave and honorable in support of the Palestinian people,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

A parliamentary delegation from Turkey, whose government expressed “satisfaction” with South Africa’s complaint, traveled to The Hague to follow the first hearing, the Turkish Anadolu agency reported this Thursday.

“The massacre of Palestinians cannot go unanswered”

The head of the delegation, Cüneyt Yüksel, indicated that “the massacre of nearly 23,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women and children, that Israel has been committing for three months in Gaza, cannot in any way go unanswered; Those responsible must be held accountable before international justice.”

Muslim-majority Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives are some of the Asian countries that have also backed South Africa.

For her part, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, limited herself to saying yesterday that her government urges “the parties to an immediate ceasefire and end the war,” when asked about this matter at a press conference.

“Flagrant violations of international humanitarian law”

In America, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on Wednesday Brazil’s support “in light of the flagrant violations of international humanitarian law” in the Strip and for the court to “order Israel” to immediately cease all acts and measures. that may constitute genocide.

And the Government of Colombia welcomed the complaint, as it considers “very clear that the actions and measures” of the Israeli Government “configure acts of genocide,” according to a statement.

The Chilean Foreign Ministry confirmed today to EFE that Chile will join the request for an investigation against Israel at the ICJ.
Cuba also supported the procedure initiated by South Africa, Nicaragua recently welcomed it with “satisfaction” and Venezuela valued it as a “historic” action. On the contrary, Paraguay rejected the complaint on Wednesday, considering Israel’s actions in a context of “legitimate defense,” according to the Foreign Ministry. With EFE

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