South Africa to resume ICJ genocide case against 'Israel'
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South Africa states that it will be continuing its genocide case against the Israeli occupation starting next month as it piles up evidence of the crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza.
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Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela at the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP)
The genocide case against the Israeli occupation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is moving forward, with South Africa set to submit a memorial next month, the South African presidency said Tuesday.
"South Africa intends to provide facts and evidence to prove that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in Palestine," the statement declared.
In late 2023, South Africa filed a case against "Israel" before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, accusing it of violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
The statement emphasized that the case would proceed until the ICJ delivered its final ruling. In the meantime, South Africa voiced hope that the Israeli occupation would comply with the court's provisional orders, which have been issued over the course of the hearings.
One such order, made in May, directed the Israeli occupation to cease its offensive in Rafah, southern Gaza, marking the third time the court had called for action to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
South Africa also highlighted that the case reflects a broader global effort to promote peace in the Middle East, with several nations, including Turkey, Nicaragua, Palestine, Spain, Mexico, Libya, and Colombia, joining the case.
Amid growing international scrutiny against the occupation, reports indicate that Israeli diplomats are lobbying members of the US Congress to pressure South Africa into abandoning the case. However, Pretoria remains committed to pursuing justice at the ICJ.
China praises South Africa's role
China has lauded South Africa’s efforts in bringing "Israel" before the UN’s highest court over accusations of genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip, a September 3 joint statement by both governments read.
Beijing "commended the positive role that South Africa has played in activating the role of the international community in the conflict in Gaza," the statement mentioned.
It followed bilateral talks in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, who is on a state visit and will attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from September 4-6.
The statement affirmed Beijing’s readiness to collaborate with Pretoria to achieve a "comprehensive, just and lasting settlement" to the Palestinian issue as soon as possible.
China also delivered an oral statement at the ICJ in February this year, asserting that the Palestinians’ armed struggle for independence from foreign and colonial rule is "legitimate".
"In pursuit of the right to self-determination, the Palestinian people’s use of force to resist foreign oppression and complete the establishment of an independent state is (an) inalienable right well founded in international law," indicated the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s legal advisor, Ma Xinmin, at the time.
South Africa expressed its gratitude to China for successfully facilitating a reconciliation dialogue among various Palestinian factions, culminating in the signing of the Beijing Declaration aimed at forming a national government.
According to the statement on Monday, both nations voiced their "concern about the serious humanitarian disaster" in Gaza resulting from the war and its broader impacts.
China and South Africa also called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2728, an immediate ceasefire, and the cessation of all hostilities, while supporting the resumption of a political process to resolve the Palestinian cause.
