South Africa has accused Israel of violating the UN Genocide Convention, asserting that even the October 7 Hamas attack does not justify the alleged actions. Pretoria has urgently appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to compel Israel to “immediately suspend” its military operations in Gaza. Israel has labeled the case as “atrocious” and “preposterous” and will present its defense on Friday.
Pretoria’s Justice Minister Ronald Lamola emphasized that no armed attack on a state territory, regardless of severity, can justify or defend breaches of the convention.
Lamola argued that Israel’s response to the October 7 attack has crossed a line, leading to violations of the convention.
The conflict in Gaza began with Hamas’s unprecedented attack, resulting in approximately 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians.
In response, Israel launched a relentless military campaign, resulting in at least 23,357 deaths, predominantly women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
South Africa contends that Israel is violating its commitments under the UN Genocide Convention, a treaty signed in 1948 following the Holocaust.
Adila Hassim, a top lawyer for South Africa, argued that Israel’s bombing campaign aims at the “destruction of Palestinian life” and has pushed Palestinians “to the brink of famine.” She claimed that the evidence over the past 13 weeks justifies a plausible claim of genocidal acts.
As a fellow signatory to the treaty, South Africa has the right to take Israel to the ICJ, which adjudicates disputes between countries.
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has consistently supported the Palestinian cause, often connecting it to its historical struggle against the white-minority government, which had friendly relations with Israel. While South Africa condemned the Hamas attacks that triggered the Gaza war, it acknowledges the weight of responsibility in accusing Israel of genocide.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
