South Africa has brought a case against Israel, accusing it of genocide in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the UN's top court, established in 1945 and based in The Hague. It has 15 judges, including an additional judge from each side in the Israel case, elected for nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
South Africa has accused Israel of genocide in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, claiming that it has the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as part of the broader Palestinian national, racial, and ethnical group. The court has also failed to prevent genocide and prosecute officials who have publicly incited genocide.
While the court decides the case, South Africa also wants it to implement a provisional measure that would oblige Israel not to engage in genocide and to prevent and punish genocide. The legal definition of genocide is defined as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group."
Israel has rebuked South Africa's claims, calling them "baseless" and a "blood libel," referring to false accusations of murder and ritual sacrifice made against Jews. Israel rejects South Africa's claim, calling it a despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the court.
The entire case, due to open on Thursday for two days of hearings, is likely to take years, but an interim measure could be issued within weeks. South Africa does not need to prove that genocide has taken place, only that the court would have jurisdiction at first glance.
South Africa's filing has been welcomed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which includes many African and Muslim-majority countries such as Turkey and Malaysia. An adverse ruling would harm Israel's reputation and set a legal precedent.
