SA vs Israel: What will happen in World Court TOMORROW
Israel has rubbished claims of genocide and says South Africa’s case at the World Court tomorrow is ‘baseless’.
The International Criminal Court(ICJ) also known as the World Court, will hear South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in The Hague, Netherlands on Thursday and Friday.
South Africa’s government has applied for immediate provisional measures to order Israel to seize its military campaign against Palestine.
SOUTH AFRICA’S CASE
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In its 84 page application, government says Israel’s military campaign against Hamas and attack on Palestinians is genocidal in character as ‘they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group’
“That intent is also properly to be inferred from the nature and conduct of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, having regard inter alia to Israel’s failure to provide or ensure essential food, water, medicine, fuel, shelter and other humanitarian assistance for the besieged and blockaded Palestinian people, which has pushed them to the brink of famine.”
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THE GENOCIDE CONVENTION
Government has also accused Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by failing to prevent genocide which has been incited by senior government officials.
The Convention which South Africa and Israel are signatories to, describe genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.
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HOW LONG WILL THE CASE TAKE
According to Reuters, each country will be given two hours on Thursday and Friday to make their legal arguments for or against provisional measures.
There will no witnesses present, or cross-examination.
The case itself will take years, however, the hearing will allow the court to order Israel stop its attack in order to prevent an escalation of the war while the court looks on the merit of the case.