A legal hearing into the war in Gaza opens in The Hague on Thursday as the international court of justice (ICJ) hears arguments alleging that Israel is committing genocide in the territory, reports theguardian.com. Since the 7 October attacks, Israel has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry, about 70% of whom are believed to be women or children. Ahead of the case, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video clip saying Israel was fighting Hamas, not the Palestinian population, and was acting in full compliance with international law. “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” he said. South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has a long history of comparing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians with that of black South Africans under apartheid._Agencies.

Source: The Guardian January 11, 2024 06:36 UTC