THE HAGUE: Israel and South Africa square off at the highest U.N. justices will hear a case from South Africa on Thursday in which the plaintiffs want an immediate halt to Israel's military operation in Gaza and accuse Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people.
This week, the World Court, commonly known as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, will hear arguments for two days about a case that was filed in late December that accuses Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Israel, which is at war with Hamas in Gaza, has labeled the entire case ridiculous and charged Pretoria of acting as the “advocate of the devil” for the violent Palestinian Islamist group.
As signatories to the Genocide Convention, South Africa and Israel are obligated to refrain from genocide as well as to prevent and punish it. "Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group" is how the treaty defines genocide.
In the interim, as the court considers the case on its merits, which may take years, South Africa has requested that the court impose a number of emergency remedies, including a pause of military operations in Gaza.
Following a cross-border raid on October 7 by terrorists operating out of Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, during which Israel claims 1,200 people were murdered and 240 were kidnapped, Israeli soldiers began their operation.
Since then, the onslaught has destroyed a large portion of the densely populated Gaza Strip, forcing almost all of its 2.3 million residents to flee their homes at least once.
Since Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization supported the African National Congress in its fight against white minority rule, South Africa has stood up for the Palestinian cause ever since the end of apartheid.
A vote in the South African parliament to sever diplomatic ties with Israel until it consented to a ceasefire in Gaza was supported in November by the ANC, which is now in power.
South Africa mentions Israel's refusal to supply Gaza with food, water, medication, and other necessities of life in its court submissions.
Additionally, it draws attention to the ongoing bombing campaign, which, according to Gaza's health officials, has claimed over 23,000 lives.
Prior to the hearings, Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy emphasized that Israel "remains committed to and operates in accordance with international law" and that all military activity is focused on the terrorist organization Hamas.
Later this month, a decision about the emergency measures is anticipated. The court will make a decision on the genocide accusations in its final verdict, which is probably going to be rendered in a few years, so it won't make a decision on them at that time. The ICJ issues definitive rulings that cannot be challenged, but the court is unable to implement them.
