UN court
Hearing: Israel responds to genocide charges
The UN court, which is supposed to resolve conflicts between states, will decide on the urgent application in the next few weeks. photo
© Patrick Post/AP/dpa
For the first time, Israel has to face the accusation of genocide in the Gaza war. South Africa has filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice. Now Israel has the say.
The accusation of genocide hits Israel to the core. The Jewish state was founded precisely under the impact of the Holocaust after the Second World War. At that time, the German National Socialists murdered around six million Jews. The Genocide Convention was also created under this impression.
South Africa is now relying on this convention, which Israel has also signed. According to this, genocide is an act “committed with the intention of destroying, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group as such.” But that is difficult to prove. The USA, Great Britain and the federal government also see no basis for South Africa’s lawsuit.
Decision on urgent application in the next few weeks
But first there is an urgent application from South Africa. The country wants judges to order an end to military actions to prevent further harm to the Palestinians. The court, which is supposed to resolve conflicts between states, will decide on this in the next few weeks. Proceedings on the main issue, the accusation of genocide, can take years.
On the first day of the hearing, on Thursday, South Africa accused Israel of systematic acts of genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel aims to destroy Palestinian life. As evidence, the legal representatives cited examples of military violence and statements by Israeli politicians and military officers.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry on X (formerly Twitter) called the allegations the “greatest spectacle of hypocrisy in history.” Israel invokes its right to self-defense after the attacks by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7th. Around 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were kidnapped from Israel, around half of whom have been released so far.
A decision of the court is binding. The UN judges themselves have no power to enforce these. Nevertheless, a negative decision could harm Israel and further increase international pressure.