The International Court of Justice will on Thursday begin hearing arguments accusing Israel of committing genocidal acts in Gaza.
In a memo shared on X, the court said the public hearing of oral arguments will commence on Thursday with South Africa and continue on Friday with Israel.
Both parties will argue for three hours each.
The government of South Africa on 29 December instituted proceedings at the Court against the State of Israel for committing ‘genocidal acts’ in Gaza.
In the 84-page document submitted to the court, South Africa said, “The acts and omissions by Israel … are genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group, that being part of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip.”
South Africa wants the ICJ, as a matter of extreme urgency, to ask Israel to immediately suspend its military operations in Gaza amongst other provisional measures outlined in the document.
Israel dismissed South Africa’s arguments as supporting terrorists who are seeking to destroy it.
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Israel’s closest ally, the US, through its national security spokesperson, John Kirby, called South Africa’s submission “meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis.”
South Africa on the other hand appears to be enjoying major support from different corners including the Organisation of Islamic Countries, a 57-member bloc, Bolivia, Malaysia, Namibia, Turkey, Jordan, Maldives, and Pakistan.
Other advocacy groups and civil society organisations have also announced their support for South Africa.
About 23,000 people including journalists have been killed in the ongoing war that erupted on 7 October.
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