In a bid to counter allegations of conducting a state-led genocide in Gaza, Israel is set to present its response to South Africa’s lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday. The case, filed by South Africa in December, urged the court to impose emergency measures compelling Israel to immediately cease its military offensive in the region.
South Africa contends that Israel’s extensive aerial and ground operations in Gaza, resulting in substantial destruction and over 23,000 casualties according to Gaza health authorities, are indicative of a deliberate campaign to annihilate the Palestinian population.
Israel vehemently denies the accusations, dismissing them as unfounded. It asserts that South Africa is merely amplifying the narrative of Islamist group Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization in the West, which aims for the destruction of Israel.
The conflict escalated when Israel launched a comprehensive military campaign in response to a cross-border incursion by Hamas militants on October 7, resulting in a reported 1,200 deaths, predominantly civilians, and 240 hostages taken back to Gaza.
Supporters of the Palestinian cause, carrying flags, paraded through The Hague, planning to observe the proceedings on a large screen in front of the Peace Palace. Concurrently, Israeli backers gathered to spotlight family members of hostages held by Hamas.
While the ICJ’s decisions are definitive, it lacks mechanisms for enforcement. The 1948 Genocide Convention, developed in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as acts carried out with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group either wholly or partially.
The court is expected to rule on potential emergency measures later this month, though a verdict on the genocide allegations is not anticipated until much later, possibly spanning years.
