South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza during opening arguments at a two-day hearing of the International Court of Justice in the Hague, where a panel of 15 judges is investigating claims of atrocities amid the country’s ongoing war with Hamas.
In outlining the stunning case against Israel, South African government attorneys urged the top court of the United Nations to order Israel to pull out of Gaza, where more than 23,000 people have been killed following a massive Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which led to more than 13 weeks of war, including a devastating ground invasion by the Israeli military that has displaced millions of civilians.
Israel vociferously denied the genocide claims, with Israeli leaders breaking from their usual avoidance of international tribunals as they prepare to present arguments to the panel on Friday in an attempt to shore up the country’s declining reputation on the world stage.
Outside the Peace Palace in the Hague, where the court proceedings were taking place, hundreds of pro-Israeli protesters gathered Thursday to demand the release of the remaining civilian prisoners.
Inside the courtroom, South African lawyers sought “provisional measures” to force Israel to accept an immediate ceasefire, but a ruling from the justices was not likely to happen for weeks, while the broader genocide prosecution could take several years to play out.
In his opening statement, South African special counsel Adila Hassim emphasized that the latest Middle East war had exposed decades of Israeli oppression against Palestinians, which amounted to a “plausible claim of genocidal acts.”
Hassim implored the court to consider the scope of the entire conflict as “evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of” genocide, he told the panel as a large crowd watched from the gallery.
“Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court,” Hassim said.
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