Thu 16 May 2024:
The United Nations’ top court opens two days of hearings on Thursday into a request from South Africa to make sure Israel halts its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population has sought shelter.
It is the fourth time South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice for emergency measures since the nation launched proceedings alleging that Israel’s military action in its war with Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide.
According to the latest request, the previous preliminary orders by The Hague-based court were not sufficient to address “a brutal military attack on the sole remaining refuge for the people of Gaza”.
Israel has previously said it is acting in accordance with international law and has called the genocide case baseless and accused Pretoria of acting as “the legal arm” of Gaza’s ruling Hamas group.
South Africa will address the Court on Thursday after it asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, last week to order Israel to cease its Rafah offensive and allow unimpeded access to Gaza for UN officials, organisations providing humanitarian aid and journalists and investigators.
Israel will present its side of the case on Friday, according to the Court schedule.
The war has killed nearly 35,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there. About 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 253 taken hostage on 7 October when Hamas launched the attack that started the war, according Israeli tallies.
The hearings in The Hague will only focus on issuing emergency measures, to keep the dispute from escalating, before the Court can rule on the merits of the case, which usually takes years. While the ICJ’s rulings are binding and without appeal, the Court has no way to enforce them.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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