Allegations of genocide. Israel in the International Court of Justice. Hamas-Israel war entered 98 days. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said at least 23,708 people were killed in the Israeli strikes in Gaza. Apart from that, numerous bodies are buried under the rubble. More than 60 thousand people were injured in the war. Lack of water, no food, no electricity connection, lack of medical supplies, the United Nations expressed its frustration that the Gaza Strip is no longer habitable. In this situation, South Africa filed a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The hearing of the case has started since yesterday.
South Africa demanded an immediate end to the war at the International Court of Justice. They level two accusations against Israel – one, that it continues atrocities in Gaza in the name of war. Two, controversial comments by Israeli officials about the Palestinians. South African Law Minister Ronald Lamola told the court that Palestine has been oppressed by Israel since 1948. “Palestine has been enduring this violence for the past 76 years,” he said. According to Lamola, “Israel has been controlling land crossings into Gaza since 2004Ordinary people also have control over houses, infrastructure.” Although access to Gaza is through the Egyptian border.
The South African minister said, “Gaza falls under international law. South Africa also condemns what Hamas did on October 7, 2023But even after that, attacking Gaza by breaking the law and morality in this way cannot be called reasonable. Israel has crossed all limits. ‘ That is why South Africa has filed a case at the International Court of Justice.”
Adila Hashim, South Africa’s representative lawyer, said that Israel has violated the second eviction of the Genocide Convention. The UN Secretary General has also said that Gaza has become a children’s graveyard.” Adila said no one can stop the war-torture unless the courts step in.
Israel is not willing to listen to all this. Several of their representatives appeared in court opposing South Africa. Tal Baker, the legal adviser of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, told the court that South Africa is not watching the brutal attack that Hamas carried out on October 7. Completely ‘ignoring’ it. Israel has the right to defend itself. On the contrary, he insisted, the international court should bring South Africa to court for colluding with Hamas. Malcolm Shaw, a British professor of international law, raised his voice in court in support of Israel. An international lawyer named Christopher Stecker (representative of Israel) said that Israel had sent relief aid to Gaza. Israel’s Law Ministry representative Galit Raguan said Hamas is responsible for so many deaths in Gaza. He also claimed that Israel had not bombed any hospital. Israel’s Deputy Attorney General Gilad Noam said at the end of the hearing that Hamas is an Israel-declared terrorist group. Many other countries have declared them as terrorist organizations. They have carried out terrorist attacks in Israel one after another
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