S.Africa calls on ICJ to issue urgent order for Palestinian protection

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 May 2024 16:58
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South Africa calls on the international community to do more to end the genocide in Gaza.

South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandorthe, left, attends the session of the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, on January 26, 2024. (AP)

South Africa has called on the international community, including allies of "Israel", not to overlook the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the need for a greater global effort to end the persecution of Palestinians, particularly the many innocent women and children.

In his statement, he mentioned that the severe human rights violations by "Israel" against Palestinians have reached unprecedented levels of cruelty, hatred, and extreme violence.

Ramaphosa also announced that South Africa has made an "urgent request" to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to implement additional measures to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza from these severe rights violations.

He explained that this request by South Africa was made under the Genocide Convention, specifically in response to the Israeli invasion of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Libya joins S. Africa's ICJ Gaza genocide case against 'Israel'

The International Court of Justice in The Hague confirmed that Libya filed a declaration of intervention in the case brought up by South Africa against the Israeli occupation entity over the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

The court said that Libya filed its declaration "because it believes that acts and omissions by Israel are of genocidal 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."

PRESS RELEASE: #Libya files a declaration of intervention under Article 63 of the #ICJ Statute in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (#SouthAfrica v. #Israel) https://t.co/IGEmza9fRm pic.twitter.com/JMUmtG9qF1
— CIJ_ICJ (@CIJ_ICJ) May 10, 2024

The Libyan Embassy in the Netherlands said the Libyan side is awaiting July 10, as it is the deadline for South Africa and the Israeli occupation entity to submit their written observations regarding Libya's request.

The announcement comes after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced in early May that Turkey intends to join South Africa's case against "Israel".