Israel rejected as false and “grossly distorted” accusations brought by South Africa at the UN’s top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population.
Israel on Friday rejected as false and “grossly distorted” accusations brought by South Africa at the UN’s top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population.
It called on judges to dismiss South Africa’s request to halt its offensive, saying to do so would leave it defenceless.
South Africa, which filed the lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December, asked judges in The Hague on Thursday to impose emergency measures ordering Israel to immediately halt the offensive.
Israel launched its war in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on October 7 by militants from Hamas, which is sworn to Israel’s destruction. Israeli officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza.
Israel’s aerial and ground offensive has killed more than 23,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
South Africa has launched an emergency case arguing that Israel stands in breach of the UN Genocide Convention, signed in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust.
But, Israel said the court has no jurisdiction to order it to halt its military actions in the Gaza Strip, and it did not have the needed “special intent” to commit crimes under the accord, its lawyer said at the second day of hearings.
“This is no genocide. South Africa tells us only half the story,” lawyer Malcolm Shaw said.
Tal Becker, a top lawyer representing Israel, said South Africa had “regrettably put before the court a profoundly distorted factual and legal picture”, even calling South Africa’s claim in “unfounded” and “absurd.
