Israel rejects "with disgust" the accusations of "acts of genocide" in its war in Gaza brought by South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the ministry's spokesperson said on Friday December 29 of Israeli Foreign Affairs, Lior Haiat. A legal action that the ministry described as “defamation”.
The ICJ, the main judicial body of the United Nations, announced on Friday that South Africa had submitted a request to it accusing Israel of engaging in “acts of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza”.
Acts of “genocidal character”
In its application, South Africa asserts that “Israel's acts and omissions are genocidal in character, as they are accompanied by the required specific intent (…) to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza as part of the group national, racial and broader ethnic background of the Palestinians,” the Hague-based ICJ reported in a statement.
According to the country, “by its conduct – through its organs and agents and other persons and entities acting on its instructions or under its direction, control or influence – towards the Palestinians in Gaza, Israel fails to fulfill its obligations under the Genocide Convention,” the ICJ said.
“South Africa’s assertions are devoid of factual and legal basis and constitute a despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the Court,” retorted the Israeli spokesperson. “South Africa is cooperating with a terrorist organization that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel,” he added, urging “the ICJ and the international community to completely reject Africa’s baseless accusations from South ".
