UN Court: Israel Rejects South Africa’s Plea for More Emergency Orders in Gaza
Israel has urged the principal United Nations court to dismiss South Africa’s recent plea for interim measures to prevent starvation in Gaza amidst accusations against Israel for violating the Genocide Convention during its military operations against Hamas.
In a formal response published by the International Court of Justice on Monday, Israel denounced South Africa’s claims as groundless both factually and legally, morally reprehensible, and as constituting an abuse of the Genocide Convention and the Court itself.
The release of Israel’s response coincided with a warning from the UN food agency that famine looms in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population faces severe hunger, and further escalation of the conflict could push half of Gaza’s populace to the brink of starvation.
The UN agency’s statement followed South Africa’s recent appeal to the world court to take action to prevent Palestinians in Gaza from facing starvation due to alleged genocidal practices by Israel.
Israel vehemently refutes allegations that its military campaign in Gaza breaches the Genocide Convention, asserting that civilian casualties are an unfortunate consequence of the conflict initiated by Hamas.
Israel acknowledged the suffering in Gaza and claimed to be undertaking significant efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis amidst challenging circumstances.
A date for the court’s ruling on South Africa’s request has not yet been set.
During hearings in January, Israel’s legal representatives argued that its actions in Gaza were a legitimate defense against Hamas aggression, shifting the blame for genocide onto Hamas militants.
After the hearings, the court issued provisional measures ordering Israel to take all necessary steps to prevent loss of life, destruction, and acts of genocide in Gaza, without halting the ongoing military offensive.
Israel contends that South Africa’s latest request merely reiterates issues already considered by the court, with no substantial grounds for altering the previous provisional measures.
The court previously rejected South Africa’s request for additional provisional measures to safeguard Rafah but emphasized Israel’s obligation to adhere to the earlier measures established in the genocide case.
The European Union’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, condemned the impending famine in Gaza as a consequence of man-made actions, highlighting the use of starvation as a weapon of war and the closure of land crossings exacerbating the crisis.
