Israel faces ICJ after South Africa accuses it of genocide

South Africa accuses Israel of violating the UN Genocide Convention due to its bombing of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

Israel on Thursday faces accusations of genocide over the war in Gaza before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

The ICJ, the United Nations’ highest judicial body, will hear a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of violating the UN Genocide Convention due to its bombing of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the war in October has risen to 23,357.

Israel rejects the accusation of genocide and said it is defending itself after militants from the Palestinian organisation Hamas and other extremist groups killed about 1,200 people during attack in Israel on October 7. The judges must first rule on an urgent request by South Africa for the immediate cessation of the military operation, a decision that could take several weeks.

Afterwards, the judges will deliberate on the allegations of genocide. South Africa and Israel both have high-ranking legal experts.

South Africa, which brought the case because it saw echoes of apartheid from its own history in Israel’s actions, will have the floor first, while Israel will respond on Friday, but a ruling could take years. The international community is split on whether the case should be heard.

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