An official delegation from the State of Israel stood before the United Nations’ top court in The Hague on Friday, and strongly denied the charge that it is conducting a genocide against the people of Gaza as it prosecutes its military operations against Hamas. On the contrary, it argued, it has taken extraordinary measures to protect Gaza’s civilian population during the campaign.
The statement came as The Hague’s International Court of Justice finished its third round of hearings held at the behest of South Africa, which requested that emergency measures be brought to stop Israel’s campaign in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah. South Africa says that this battle threatens the survival of the Palestinian people, and has petitioned the court to order Israel to agree to a cease-fire.
On Thursday, South Africa told the court that the situation in Rafah had reached a “horrific stage” and championed a halt to the war. At the end of last year, South Africa initially filed the genocide charges against Israel, and this is the third round of hearings on the case.
In January’s hearings, the court ordered Israel to do as much as much as it possibly could to prevent destruction, death, and acts of genocide in the Gaza campaign—however, the panel did not order Israel to end the offensive.
A member of Israel’s legal team, Tamar Kaplan-Tourgeman, said in defense of the small nation’s conduct, saying that it has made no effort to prevent fuel, medicine, and other humanitarian aid into the war zone. Israel, she argued, has gone to extraordinary lengths to minimize civilian casualties.
Kaplan-Tourgeman’s final remarks were interrupted by a female protester, who shouted “Liars!” The hearing was put on hold for a moment while security guards removed the woman from the gallery.
Now, the judges must deliberate on the results of the hearing. A decision from the court on whether the Rafah offensive may continue is expected in the coming weeks.
