Iran Press/ Africa: Ronald Lamola said at the hearing session in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held on Thursday in the Hague: "Israel has crossed this line, and breached the [genocide] convention. This is why South Africa has filed this case."
The hearing session of the International Court of Justice was held in South Africa's landmark complaint against the Israeli regime, accusing Tel Aviv of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Ronald Lamola said during his opening statement in the case at the ICJ: “No armed attack on a state territory no matter how serious... can provide justification for or defend breaches of the convention.”
“The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years, on October 6, 2023, and every day since October 7, 2023. In the Gaza Strip, at least since 2004, “Israel” continues to exercise control over the airspace, territorial waters, land crossings, water, electricity, and civilian infrastructure, as well as key government functions,” Lamola recalled.
Adila Hassim, who is an advocate representing South Africa’s case, took the floor after Lamola:“South Africa contends that ‘Israel’ has transgressed Article 2 of the convention by committing actions that fall within the definition of genocide. The actions show systematic patterns of conduct from which genocide can be inferred”.
She went on to say that the “first genocidal act is mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza.”
“‘Israel’ deployed 6,000 bombs per week. At least 200 times, it has deployed 2,000-pound [907kg] bombs in southern Gaza, which it designated safe. No one is spared. Not even newborns. UN chiefs have described it as a graveyard for children,” Adila Hassim added.
South Africa has brought a case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The case, which is based on the 1948 Genocide Convention, aims to prevent such crimes in the Palestinian enclave. South Africa's justice minister stated that the country decided to initiate the case to prevent the recurrence of such crimes as mandated by the Convention.
The suit, filed in an 84-page document last month, alleges that Israel has breached its responsibilities under international law by launching an ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe.
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