South Africa had submitted all necessary paperwork to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Now, Pretoria is seeking justice for Gaza at the ICJ.
South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), requesting that the court indicate provisional measures, Anadolu News Agency reported on Friday.
The application filed “alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” the ICJ said in a press release.
“Acts and omissions by Israel … are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group,” the statement read.
‘Genocide Convention’
“The conduct of Israel – through its State organs, State agents, and other persons and entities acting on its instructions or under its direction, control or influence – in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, is in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention,” the statement added, citing the application.
South Africa also accused Israel of “failing to prevent genocide” and “prosecuting the direct and public incitement to genocide” in the application.
“Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” the African country reportedly said.
Crime of Genocide – South Africa Officially Brings War Crimes Charges against Israel at ICC
The application also requested the ICJ to,
“indicate provisional measures in order to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention and to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention not to engage in genocide, and to prevent and to punish genocide.”
‘Blood Libel?’
Earlier this month, South Africa had submitted all necessary paperwork to the International Criminal Court (ICC), bringing war crime charges against Israel over its genocidal war in Gaza.
Moreover, in November, the country’s lawmakers endorsed a motion to suspend ties with Israel until Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commits to a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory.
In response to Pretoria’s latest move, the Israeli foreign ministry on Friday slammed South Africa’s position as a “blood libel”.
“South Africa’s claim has no factual and judicial basis and is a despicable and cheap exploitation of the court,” the ministry said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.
AL-JAZEERA: South Africa has filed a claim against Israel to the International Court of Justice for violating the Genocide Convention.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 29, 2023
The Israeli ministry further accused Pretoria of “collaborating with a terror group that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.”
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 21,507 Palestinians have been killed, and 55,915 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(PC, ANADOLU)
Yes, but will it go anywhere? Israel and America have worldwide immunity, apparently. it’s been years, and all we’ve seen is empty threats of prosecution and reprimands, but no action!
HEY, WORLD!!!…
prove me wrong.
please!
Even if it goes “nowhere” legally, this is South Africa, a former apartheid state standing up to Israel (and the US). And this news is (today) all over the “western” internet. As an American citizen, I’m OK with the US and Israel starting to look really ugly on the world stage. It’s time.
In relation to the Israeli foreign ministry’s claiming that presenting hard evidence with dates and activities and declared motives, is a “blood libel”, the Israel and US claim of “40 beheaded babies” is a genuine blood libel, of exactly the same characteristics as that in the despicable “Little Saint Hugh of Lincolnshire” incident of 1255. Baseless claims repeated over and over again by people intent on driving mobs into hysterical rage against a “declared enemy”, with the intention of murdering as many as possible. Just look up “mediaeval European blood libel” and compare. Yet another case of Israel reaching rock bottom then starting to dig fractically …
Kudos to South Africa for again having the backbone to take on Israel and America. Shame to those countries that don’t have the guts to take on the two terrorist states.
Kudos to South Africa for having the balls to file this case vs Israel who seems to feel untouchable because of USA backing by Biden. That alleged blood libel of supposedly beheading 40 children by Hamas has no basis whatsoever in fact and in law. What’s obvious now is the sex predators of the Jews and their cohorts in the highest echelons of US and British societies now coming out in the Jeffrey Epstein case including their longtime prime minister former IDF officer too. What a big big shame to their country and the world!
Israel’s time is finally upon us .