South Africa files genocide case against Israel at International Court of Justice
In its application, South Africa accuses Israel of being “in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention” and that “acts and omissions by Israel ... are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent ... to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group,” the ICJ said in a statement.
Israel, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rejected South Africa’s claims and application to the World Court, saying South Africa "is calling for the destruction of the State of Israel," and that its "claim lacks both a factual and a legal basis."
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed South Africa's move to begin proceedings over the genocide allegations.
"The Court must immediately take action to protect the Palestinian people and call on Israel, the occupying Power, to halt its onslaught against the Palestinian people, in order to ensure an objective legal resolution," the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement Friday. "The existence of the Palestinian people is under unprecedented threat as we are facing a moral and legal catastrophe of enormous proportions undermining our shared humanity and the essence of the multilateral order," the statement read.
The ICC is still investigating the 2014 war crimes. However this is the ICJ:
https://blog.ipleaders.in/functional-differences-icc-icj/
The International Criminal Court is an independent organization and is not a part of the United Nations. However, they do work alongside each other and the United Nations Security Council can refer to situations involving international crimes to the ICC.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the United Nations and acts as its primary judicial branch. In fact, the United Nations Security Council enforces the rulings and judgements passed by this court.
A ruling from the ICJ could force the UNSC to act.
Will it be in time?
Israel expands Gaza offensive as UN officials raise alarms about the peril for civilians.
Israel's military said it was “extending operations” and dismantling Hamas infrastructure in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza on Friday, while also claiming to have destroyed a network of tunnels near Gaza City along with one of the “hideout apartments” belonging to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
While the Israel Defense Forces reported its progress on the ground, officials with the United Nations are again raising the alarm about the consequences for Gaza's civilians.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said in a post on X Thursday that over 150,000 people “have nowhere to go” after the latest IDF warning to evacuate large portions of central Gaza. Even civilians who have reached shelters have not always been able to escape harm. The UNRWA said Friday that at least 308 people taking refuge in its shelters had been killed — and at least 1,095 others wounded — since the most recent fighting began in the enclave on October 7.
And, the UN relief chief on Thursday described the frustrations of getting aid into the enclave, where an acute hunger crisis is impacting millions. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths described “constant bombardments. Poor communications. Damaged roads. Convoys shot at. Delays at checkpoints." He added that "this is an impossible situation for people of Gaza and those trying to help them.”
WHO chief again raises alarm over spread of disease in Gaza
In a post on X, Tedros Ghebreyesus, warned “people living in shelters have continued to fall sick”.
He said the UN health agency has recorded:
- Close to 180,000 people suffering upper respiratory infections
- 136,400 cases of diarrhoea, half of these among children under five
- 55,400 cases of lice and scabies
- 5,330 cases of chickenpox
- 42,700 cases of skin rash, including 4722 cases of impetigo
- 4,683 cases of Acute Jaundice Syndrome
- 126 cases of meningitis
“As people continue to be massively displaced across the south of Gaza, with some families forced to move multiple times and many sheltering in overcrowded health facilities, my WHO colleagues and I remain very concerned about the increasing threat of infectious diseases,” he said.
Meanwhile in the USA
Biden administration bypasses Congress, again, to sell more military equipment to Israel
The Biden administration bypassed Congress to approve a nearly $150 million sale of military equipment to Israel for the second time this month.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress that he has made an emergency determination to immediately approve the transfer of "155mm ancillary items including fuzes, charges, and primers that make 155mm shells functional," a State Department spokesperson said Friday.
"Given the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs, the Secretary notified Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine an emergency existed necessitating the immediate approval of the transfer," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the additional items were added to previous sales, which "increased the total value of the sale to $147.5 million."
Earlier this month, the administration rushed forward a sale of thousands of munitions to Israel, bypassing the standard 20-day period that congressional committees are typically afforded to review such a sale. The State Department sent an emergency declaration to the oversight committees that more than 13,000 tank shells would be delivered to Israel without any “further information, details or assurances.”
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