Israel has slammed South Africa and accused it of acting as the “legal arm of the Hamas” on the first day of the two-day public hearing in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
In a statement released by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel further labelled South Africa’s lawyers in the case as “Hamas representatives in the Court”, whose arguments in court it described as “hypocrisy in history compounded by a series of false and baseless claims”.
“South Africa, which is acting as the legal arm of the Hamas terrorist organization, utterly distorted the reality in Gaza following the October 7, massacre and completely ignored the fact that Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, murdered, executed, massacred, raped and abducted Israeli citizens simply because they were Israelis in an attempt to carry out genocide,” the statement reads in part.
South Africa filed the case against Israel at the ICJ On December 29, 2023, accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
The country argued that Israel violated the Genocide Convention on prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide.
South Africa said Israel's activities in the Gaza Strip amounted to genocide as they are being perpetrated with intent to exterminate Palestinians.
“The conduct of Israel – through State organs, State agents, and other persons and entities acting on its instructions or under its direction, control or influence – in relation to Palestinians in Gaza violates its obligations under the Genocide Convention.”
In response, Israel said South Africa is seeking a return of the Hamas to continue committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and rape and sexual crimes in the Gaza Strip.
“The South African lawyers are also ignoring the fact that Hamas uses the civilian population in Gaza as human shields and operates from within hospitals, schools, UN shelters, mosques and churches to endanger the lives of the residents of the Gaza Strip.”
Israel claimed Hamas is still holding 136 abductees taken during the surprise October 7 attack and it has denied them access to medical care.
Israel launched retaliatory attacks on Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack with the total recorded Palestinian death toll having surpassed 22,000 to date.
Israel said the ariel and ground assault against Hamas in the Gaza Strip will not cease.
“The State of Israel will continue to protect its citizens in accordance with international law, while distinguishing between Hamas terrorists and the civilian population,” it said while affirming its resolve to free all abductees and exterminate Hamas.
