In the first day of the trial, a panel of ICJ judges at the Peace Palace in the Hague, Netherlands, heard from South African lawyers.
South African attorneys said Israel has violated the Genocide Convention, an international treaty requiring nations to prevent genocide with 153 countries party to it, including South Africa and Israel.
South African lawyer Adila Hassim faulted Israel for a widespread bombing campaign, displacement of Palestinian civilians and blockade of basic necessities.
“The level of Israel’s killing is so extensive that nowhere is safe in Gaza,” Hassim said.
South Africa asked the ICJ to not only immediately order a halt to Israel’s war but also to block the displacement of Palestinians, among other conditions.
About 23,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since Israel declared war against Palestinian militant group Hamas for killing more than 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7 and taking some 240 hostage.
Israel won’t be making counter-arguments until tomorrow, but it has already dismissed the case.
“What is happening at the [ICJ] is a perversion of the word justice and an embarrassment to all who believe in human rights,” said Israel’s Foreign Ministry in a post on X.
The U.S., which has called for greater protections of Palestinians but backs Israel’s campaign, is standing by its ally as the case proceeds.
“We find it without merit,” White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters this week. “We find it counterproductive.”
The ICJ has never before ruled an entire country has committed genocide.
If the court were to find Israel has violated the Genocide Convention, the ruling would be final and binding, though the ICJ has been ignored by nations in the past.
Read the full report here.
