Israel will defend itself against claims of 'genocide' at ICJ

Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to challenge South Africa’s lawsuit accusing the apartheid state of “genocide” and seeking an interim order to halt military operations in Gaza, Israel’s i24 News reported yesterday.

According to National Security Adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel is “a long-standing signatory to the Genocide Convention” and “will not boycott” proceedings launched by South Africa at the ICJ.

“We will participate & refute the absurd accusation that amounts to blood libel.”

On Friday, South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel before the ICJ, requesting the court indicate provisional measures.

The application filed “concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” the ICJ said in a press release.

“Acts and omissions by Israel … are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group,” read the statement.

South Africa also accused Israel of “failing to prevent genocide” and “prosecuting the direct and public incitement to genocide” in the application.

Israel has repeatedly refused to cooperate with United Nations probes into alleged Israeli war crimes committed against Palestinians and has denied UN officials visas to enter its territory or the occupied Palestinian territory to gather evidence.

READ: After South African petition, Israel on high alert with growing pressure to file genocide charges