What to know as Israel defends itself against genocide accusations at the U.N.’s highest court
Israel has been defending itself from accusations of genocide against Palestinians as it continues to wage war in the rubble of Gaza.
In the gilded palace where the International Court of Justice sits in The Hague, Israel has been defending itself from accusations of genocide against Palestinians as it continues to wage war in the rubble of Gaza.
The historic case could see the United Nations’ top court order Israel to halt the fighting. Israel — which often boycotts international tribunals and U.N. investigations saying they are unfair — has pushed back on this case by sending a high-level legal team to the two-day hearing, which began Thursday in the Dutch city.
South Africa brought the case calling for the court to order an immediate halt to the country’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, which were launched after Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7 — 100 days ago Sunday.
Israeli officials say around 1,200 people died that day and around 240 were taken hostage, although more than 100 have since been released as part of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners. More than 23,000 people have been killed in Gaza, 70% of them women and children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Although it maintains a strong trade relationship with Israel, South Africa has been a fierce critic of the military campaign in Gaza. Many, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, have compared Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank to South Africa’s previous apartheid regime of racial segregation. Israel has rejected such allegations.
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