In a new submission at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 16, South Africa has called for an end to Israel’s “genocidal” war in Gaza and for its attack on the southern city of Rafah to be halted.
South Africa’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, said as speaking at the court in The Hague that Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza had “reached a new and horrific stage”.
He told the ICJ taht “South Africa had hoped, when we last appeared before this court, to halt this genocidal process to preserve Palestine and its people. However, that the attack on the enclave had “continued apace”.
South African delegation at the International Court of Justice sought additional emergency measures to be taken against Israel’s offensive on Rafah, affirming that ‘Israel’ is an apartheid regime committing genocide crimes in Gaza.
ICJ ordered that ‘Israel’ take all measures within its power to prevent genocide in Gaza, as well as allow aid to enter the enclave, along with a number of other measures, following an application by South Africa.
However, South Africa says ‘Israel’ has failed to comply with the ICJ orders as “Israeli political and military leaders dehumanize Palestinians through genocidal rhetoric, referring to them as “human animals” and advocating for a second Nakba, shielded by international impunity.”
South African delegate Max du Plessis told the ICJ that instead of complying with the orders it issued in January, ‘Israel’ had defied the court by “trapping, besieging and bombarding overcrowded Rafah”, referring to the Israeli invasion of the city as a “deadliest phase of this ongoing genocide”.
Du Plessis said the court’s initial orders were made because the right of existence of the Palestinian population in Gaza is currently at risk of prejudice, and the only effective way of preserving this right was through prevention.
South Africa is seeking these new measures before it is too late for prevention to be possible, echoing the UN’s previous assessment that “no one in Gaza is safe”.
During Thursday South Africa hearing at the ICJ, South Africa representative cautioned former colonial powers against denying the genocide in Gaza.
Madonsela expressed concern, stating, “There is a danger stemming from a form of amnesia and denial by former colonial powers regarding the crimes associated with colonial violence perpetrated by Indigenous peoples.” It was mentioned, during the South Africa hearing, that Israeli settlers are obstructing aid from reaching the Gaza Strip. As the hearing progresses, Israeli settlers, backed by the Israeli government, appeared in a viral footage blocking aid truck convoys en route to Gaza.
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