In an official press release, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has ‘rejected with disgust’, the blood libel spread by South Africa and its application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The statement has come as a reaction to South Africa’s filing of a genocide case against Israel in the ICJ. It was on Friday that South Africa asked the ICJ for an immediate order, declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention, in its crackdown against Hamas in Gaza.
Reacting to South Africa’s move, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, ‘South Africa’s claim lacks both a factual and a legal basis, and constitutes despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the Court. South Africa is cooperating with a terrorist organization that is calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.’
‘The Hamas terrorist organization, which is committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and tried to commit genocide on 7 October, is responsible for the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, by using them as human shields and stealing humanitarian aid from them.’, Israel’s statement further added.
Israel also stated, ‘Israel is committed to international law and acts in accordance with it, and directs its military efforts only against the Hamas terrorist organization and the other terrorist organizations cooperating with Hamas. Israel has made it clear that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not the enemy, and is making every effort to limit harm to the non-involved and to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.’
Israel has called on the ICJ and the international community to completely reject South Africa’s ‘baseless claims’.
No date has been decided yet for the hearing.
