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Israel is set to confront accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday after South Africa told the top UN court that Gaza is a concentration camp where genocide is taking place.
Like South Africa, Israel will have three hours to argue its case before a bench of 15 judges at the Peace Palace in the Hague to rebut the genocide it is committing in Gaza.
It is expected that Israel’s arguments will focus around the right to defend itself from Hamas, antisemitism and that its action is in compliance with international law.
Watch Israel presenting its case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Jews
Israel is also expected to refer to the holocaust and the hatred of Jews.
After oral arguments by six lawyers representing South Africa, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola emphasised that South Africa’s case is not against the Jews.
“Our case is against the actions of the State of Israel. The actions of genocide that are committed in Gaza. In South Africa, we have got a number of Jewish people doing business, living with us, and attending their churches in peace.”
ALSO READ: WATCH: SA is not Hamas’ legal arm – Lamola
Israel relations
On Thursday, Professor John Dugard for South Africa said the country has long history of close relations with Israel.
“For this reason, it did not bring this dispute immediately to the attention of this court. It watched with horror as Israel responded to the terrible atrocities committed against its people on 7 October 2023 with an attack on Gaza that resulted in the indiscriminate killing of innocent Palestinian civilians, most of whom were women and children.
“The South African government repeatedly voiced its concerns, in the Security Council and in public statements, that Israel’s actions had become genocidal,” Dugard argued.
South African hypocrisy?
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “the hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens,” in pursuing its genocide case against Israel.
Netanyahu said that hypocrisy and lies had been presented to the UN’s top court.
“We are fighting terrorists; we are fighting lies… Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,” he said.
South Africa has asked the ICJ to grant interim measures to stop Israel’s attacks in Gaza while it decides on the merits of the genocide accusations.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 23 400 people, about 70% of them women and children, while 59 600 have been injured.
ALSO READ: SA says there’s an urgent need for ICJ measures to protect Palestinians
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