UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, an official said Thursday. "The Secretary-General has full respect for the independence of the courts, its proceedings and its decisions," spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. His remarks came after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague held the first of a two-day hearing in the case concerning the Gaza Strip, where more than 23,000 people have been killed since Oct. 7. Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed around 1,200 people. At least 23,357 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 59,410 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
