By means of Raffi Berg in London & Anna Holligan at The HagueBBC News12 January 2024, 10:49 GMTUpdated 40 mins agoVideo caption, Watch: ‘Distorted factual image’ introduced via South Africa – Israeli legal professional tells ICJIsrael has mentioned South Africa has distorted the reality in its case to the World Court docket of Justice, the place it’s accusing Israel of genocide.South Africa had introduced “a sweeping counter-factual description” of the Israel-Palestinian battle, Israeli legal professional Tal Becker advised the ICJ.South Africa says Israel is committing genocide in opposition to the Palestinians in its struggle in Gaza.It’s also asking the court docket to reserve Israel to halt its army job.The ICJ is the United Countries’ easiest court docket. Its rulings are theoretically legally binding on events to the ICJ – which come with Israel and South Africa – however aren’t enforceable. Israel delivered its defence to the court docket an afternoon after South Africa introduced its case.Out of doors the prison battleground of the ICJ, police created cordons to verify rival teams have been saved a long way aside. On one facet, Palestinian flags have been waved underneath a large display streaming a reside feed from the court docket. Banners have been unfurled appearing pictures of Nelson Mandela, referencing parallels drawn via South Africa’s prison workforce between the location in Gaza and the previous apartheid technology in South Africa. A couple of hundred metres away, a symbolic Sabbath desk have been laid. Pictures have been hooked up to the again of empty chairs. Those display of one of the greater than 130 Israelis who’re nonetheless being held hostage via Hamas, which is banned as a terrorist crew in the United States, UK, EU and somewhere else.South Africa asserts that Israel is in violation of the 1948 Genocide Conference, to which each states are signatories, and which commits events to stop genocide from going down.Israel has been waging a struggle in opposition to Hamas, Gaza’s ruling crew, since 7 October, when masses of Hamas gunmen invaded Israel, killing about 1,300 other folks and taking some 240 others again to Gaza as hostages. Participants of the hostages’ households have been within the ICJ court docket to listen to Israel state its case.The Hamas-run well being ministry in Gaza says greater than 23,350 other folks – most commonly ladies and youngsters – had been killed via Israel within the struggle.In his opening remarks on Friday, Tal Becker advised the court docket that whilst the civilian struggling used to be “tragic”, Hamas sought “to maximize civilian hurt to each Israelis and Palestinians, whilst Israel seeks to minimise it”.South Africa, he mentioned, “has regrettably put sooner than the court docket a profoundly distorted factual and prison image, [and] the whole thing of its case hinges on a intentionally curated, decontextualised and manipulative description of the truth of present hostilities”.Mr Becker accused South Africa of constructing “an try to weaponise the time period genocide in opposition to Israel”.He mentioned South Africa used to be additionally in the hunt for “to thwart Israel’s inherent proper to protect itself” via looking to get the court docket to reserve Israel to prevent its army operation in opposition to Hamas.Video caption, Watch: “Israel has genocidal intent in Gaza”, says legal professional representing South AfricaOn Thursday, the court docket’s 17 judges heard recommend of the Prime Court docket of South Africa Tembeka Ngcukaitobi describe how Israel’s “genocidal intent” used to be obvious “from the way in which during which [its] army assault is being performed”. Israel had a plan to “ruin” Gaza, he mentioned, which “has been nurtured on the easiest degree of state”.Adila Hassim, additionally representing South Africa, advised the court docket that “on a daily basis there may be mounting, irreparable lack of lifestyles, assets, dignity and humanity for the Palestinian other folks”.”Not anything will forestall the struggling, with the exception of an order from this court docket.” In its proof submitted sooner than the listening to, South Africa mentioned Israel’s movements have been “supposed to convey concerning the destruction of a considerable a part of the Palestinian nationwide, racial and ethnical crew”.The German executive issued a observation on Friday, pronouncing it “expressly rejects the accusation of genocide” in opposition to Israel, pronouncing the accusation had “no foundation by any means”.”In view of Germany’s historical past and the crime in opposition to humanity of the Shoah [Holocaust], the Federal Executive sees itself as in particular dedicated to the Conference in opposition to Genocide… We firmly oppose [its] political instrumentalisation.”Executive spokesman Steffen Hebestreit mentioned Germany would discuss on the primary listening to on the ICJ.A spokesperson for UK Top Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned Mr Sunak believed South Africa’s case used to be “totally unjustified and unsuitable.””The United Kingdom executive stands via Israel’s transparent proper to protect itself throughout the framework of world legislation,” he mentioned.What the ICJ will ship at the genocide allegation will likely be handiest an opinion, even supposing it’s being intently watched.A last ruling in this may just take years, even supposing the court docket may just extra rule briefly on South Africa’s request for Israel to droop its army marketing campaign.
