The court was hearing a lawsuit by representatives of South Africa today. The country said the IDF operation, which the military launched on May 7, 2024, threatens “the last refuge for 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
Among other things, the Africans blamed the IDF for the “complete collapse of infrastructure, sewage, water and food supplies.” South Africa insists that “all of these actions fall under the definition of genocide.”
The court in The Hague, citing “imminent danger to the Palestinian people,” ruled that Israel must immediately halt the military operation in Rafah. The court ruled in favor of the prosecution by a majority of 13 votes in favor to two against.
The court expressed doubts that Israel's measures were sufficient to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip and ordered Israel to allow international investigators access to the Strip.
Israel, expectedly, rejected the accusations and noted that Rafah remains a military stronghold of Hamas, which continues to pose a significant threat to the state of Israel and its citizens. Jerusalem also said it was allowing necessary humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip.
Recall, in December last year, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice in the UN in The Hague. The document alleges that the IDF's actions in Gaza have “the character of genocide.” Israel rejected the accusations and called them unfounded.
