At the International Court of Justice, located in The Hague, Netherlands, South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. South Africa’s parliament pleaded with one of the United Nation’s top courts to order an immediate halt to all Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Israel, which was founded as a result of the Holocaust, has been involved in a war against Gaza since 2008. However, the most recent conflict has been active since October 2023. The war surrounds the dispute of land, who controls it and how it is controlled. Since the first airstrike on October 7, 2023, Israel has driven 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes.
Countries affiliated with the United Nations, such as South Africa, that are viewing the war from an outside perspective are beginning to use their voices to stand up for Palenstinans against Israel. In just 3 months since the initial attack, over 23,000 residents of Gaza have died.
Israel, however, has denied these accusations. Despite the fact that the court “has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention” that amounts to “a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African lawyer Adila Hassim told the judges and audience in a packed room of the Peace Palace in The Hague.
While the evidence that the court holds is more or less conclusive, it’s unclear if Israel would comply with any potential orders to halt. If they didn’t, however, the U.N. could impose sanctions, but there’s a chance the U.S. might prevent that from happening. The White House remained silent when asked how they may respond if the court determines Israel committed genocide.
However, John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, deemed the accusations “unfounded.”
