The International Court of Justice said on Friday that South Africa had submitted an application to start proceedings over claims of genocide against Israel for its war against Hamas in Gaza.
In its application, South Africa claims that Israel is "in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention" and asserts that the ICJ states that Israel's "acts and omissions… are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent… to destroy Palestinians in Gaza."
Since October 7, over 21,507 individuals have died in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which is under the leadership of Hamas in the enclave. As per the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, at least 308 individuals who were receiving refuge from the organization are among the deceased.
Through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel has rejected South Africa's accusations and appeal to the World Court, stating that the country "is calling for the destruction of the State of Israel" and that its claim "lacks both a factual and a legal basis."
"Israel has made every effort to limit harm to the non-involved and to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip," the statement read. "Israel is committed to international law and acts in accordance with it, and directs its military efforts only against the Hamas terrorist organization and the other terrorist organizations cooperating with Hamas."
Following Hamas' fatal terror strikes and abduction spree on October 7, Israel launched an airstrike and ground invasion of Gaza, wreaking havoc throughout the densely populated coastal strip and inciting international condemnation from relief organizations.
Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden declared that Israel was "indiscriminately bombing" Gaza. According to a US intelligence estimate, Israel has deployed roughly half of its air-to-ground weapons in Gaza during its conflict with Hamas, which are commonly referred to as "dumb bombs." Unguided weapons can be more dangerous for civilians and are usually less accurate.
Numerous explosives used in Gaza have also been quite large, able to injure or kill individuals over a thousand feet away, according to analysis conducted by CNN and the artificial intelligence startup Synthetaic. Heavy munitions like these, according to supporters of Israel's Gaza war, operate as bunker busters, assisting in the destruction of Hamas' underground tunnel network. However, analysts say that Western armies typically only sometimes employ these kinds of explosives. The law of international humanitarian law forbids random bombardment.
The military of Israel announced on Friday that it is extending its operations in the southern part of Gaza, where residents were previously advised to seek safety. It further asserted that it had demolished one of Yahya Sinwar's "hideout apartments" and a network of tunnels. CNN is unable to independently confirm the IDF's assertions.The Department of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa released a statement on Friday that stated, "Due to the indiscriminate use of force and the forcible removal of inhabitants, South Africa is gravely concerned with the plight of civilians caught in the present Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip."
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