This is a “no” from France. Pars refused this Wednesday to support the accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), denouncing the crossing of a “moral threshold” .
“To accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold. We cannot exploit the notion of genocide for political purposes,” declared Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, during questions to the government in the National Assembly.
South Africa wants judges to order Israel to stop ‘immediately’
A hearing has been taking place since January 11 before the highest court of the United Nations, headquartered in The Hague, which Pretoria seized last month, arguing that Israel was violating the United Nations Convention on Genocide, signed in 1948 following the Holocaust. South Africa wants judges to order Israel to “immediately” stop the military campaign launched in the Gaza Strip after the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, which left around 1,140 dead. according to an AFP count based on the Israeli toll.
“Respect for the law is essential to everyone”
In retaliation, Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas in power in the Gaza Strip and launched an offensive in this Palestinian territory which left at least 24,448 dead, mostly women, adolescents and children, according to the latest report. assessment of the Hamas Ministry of Health. “We firmly say to the Israelis: + respect for the law is required of all, the systematic strikes in Gaza must stop +, but the words have a meaning,” added Mr. Séjourné.
On Friday, the German government also rejected the accusation of “genocide” brought against Israel, seeing in it the risk of a “political exploitation” of the law and considering that it was “devoid of any basis”.