THE HAGUE: South Africa asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against Hamas in Gaza. The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between states. In a statement from South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), the government said the application against Israel was filed on Friday. “Israel, since Oct 7 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide,” Dirco said in a statement. South Africa has backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories for decades, likening the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority in South Africa during the repressive apartheid-era, a comparison Israel vehemently denies.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 30, 2023 07:34 UTC