Last week, South Africa became the first country to file a suit against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, ramping up international pressure on Tel Aviv to stop the deadly and relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip that it launched on October 7, 2023, and which has killed more than 22,000 civilians, a significant number of them children.
In the 84-page lawsuit filed by South Africa on December 29, detailed evidence of brutality in Gaza is presented, urging the International Court of Justice – the United Nations entity for settling interstate disputes – to promptly declare that Israel has violated its obligations under international law since October 7.
This legal action is the latest in a series of measures taken by Pretoria since the commencement of the conflict in Gaza. These actions include outspoken and persistent condemnation of Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the West Bank, recalling the South African ambassador from Israel, bringing the suffering of Palestinians to the attention of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and advocating for an extraordinary meeting of BRICS countries to address the conflict. It’s noteworthy that the ICC typically handles cases involving alleged crimes committed by individuals, not states.
South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention which defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. a suit against Israel
Genocidal actions listed in the suit include the killing of Palestinians in Gaza in large numbers, especially children; the destruction of their homes; their expulsion and displacement; as well as enforcing a blockade on food, water and medical assistance to the strip.