Israel defends Gaza war at UN court

Israel defended its war in Gaza as a legitimate defense operation and claimed Hamas was guilty of genocide at the United Nations court Friday.

South African attorneys at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel has violated the Genocide Convention, an international treaty among 153 countries that requires nations to prevent genocide.

The attorneys blamed Israel for its widespread bombing campaign, displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and for blocking aid and basic necessities from reaching the region. South Africa said Israel has conducted one of the deadliest bombing campaigns in modern war history and continued a “pattern of genocidal conduct” against Palestinian people.

Israel said the allegations were hypocritical and defended the air and ground campaign in Gaza as a legitimate response to the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages, The Associated Press reported.

South Africa asked the ICJ to order a halt to Israel’s war and aid the civilians who have been displaced. Since Israel began its counteroffensive, more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Tal Becker, an Israeli legal adviser, told the court Friday that the country is fighting a war “it did not start and did not want.” He said the crisis in Gaza was not severe enough to warrant a charge of genocide, the AP reported, and said the charge and allegation were false and malevolent.

The ICJ has never ruled an entire country has committed genocide. If Israel is found in violation of the international treaty, the ruling would be final and binding, The Hill previously reported.

Even if a country is acting in self-defense, it is required by international law to follow the rules of war. It is up to the court to decide if Israel has done so.

While the United States has pushed for Israel to scale back its attack in a more precise manner, it continues to be an ally for Israel while in court.

“We find it without merit,” White House national security council spokesperson John Kirby said of the charges against Israel. “We find it counterproductive.”