Posted on 01/11/2024 4:44:28 AM PST by FarCenter
South Africa on Thursday accused Israel of breaching the UN Genocide Convention, arguing that even the deadly October 7 Hamas attack could not justify such alleged actions, as it launched a landmark case at the top UN court.
Pretoria has lodged an urgent appeal at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to force Israel to "immediately suspend" its military operations in Gaza.
Israel has dismissed the case as "atrocious" and "preposterous" and vowed to set out a robust defence on Friday.
"No armed attack on a state territory, no matter how serious... can provide justification for or defend breaches of the convention," said Pretoria's Justice Minister Ronald Lamola.
"Israel's response to the October 7 attack has crossed this line and given rise to the breaches of the convention," he added.
The Gaza war erupted when Hamas launched its unprecedented attack, which resulted in about 1,140 people killed in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel has responded with a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 23,357 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.
A world away from the death and destruction in Gaza and Israel, robed lawyers battled it out over technical legal arguments in the Peace Palace in The Hague.
South Africa argues Israel is breaking its commitments under the UN Genocide Convention, a treaty signed in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust.
Top lawyer for South Africa Adila Hassim said Israel's bombing campaign aimed at "destruction of Palestinian life" and had pushed Palestinians "to the brink of famine".
"Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies a plausible claim of genocidal acts".
(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...
UN Court of Nazis.
UNaccountable bureaucrats can do bad things. United in what? WHO are these bureaucrats?
Hamas could always surrender if it was really that bad
The Un has zero authority over Israel.
That’s a very angry letter.
International law does not apply when one of the parties is not a signatory to the agreement.
What about the genocide these bastards did to their white farmers? I guess their point is that they know what genocide looks like because they are doing it themselves.
All member states of the UN are party to the ICJ Statute and may initiate contentious legal cases; however, advisory proceedings may only be submitted by certain UN organs and agencies.
If Israel wanted to commit genocide they would not have given the people in Gaza advanced warning and they would have just used their air power to carpet bomb the city (like the allies did during WWII).
The people of Gaza had only move a few miles south to get out of the war zone (it is Hamas and Egypt that keep the people from escaping the war, not Israel).
Israel did not commit genocide.
At long, too long, last, the IDF perpetrated Hamascide.
The perpetual threat of hostage taking that has plagued Israel for 50 years ormore has been for the present eliminated.
SA is a failed state. you would think they’d have better things to do.....
My understanding is that a signatory to human rights is not obligated to keep those rights if the enemy they are dealing with is neither a signatory or keeper to that human rights agreement.
Meaning, since Israel is dealing with a non-entity, they are bound by the agreement they signed. It takes both parties to make the agreement enforceable.
FUN
My understanding is that a signatory to human rights is not obligated to keep those rights if the enemy they are dealing with is neither a signatory or keeper to that human rights agreement.
Meaning, since Israel is dealing with a non-entity, they are bound by the agreement they signed. It takes both parties to make the agreement enforceable.
“The Conventions apply to a signatory nation even if the opposing nation is not a signatory, but only if the opposing nation “accepts and applies the provisions” of the Conventions.[27]”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Conventions
"In fact, it is those who are violently attacking Israel who continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
I wouldn’t have expected that from the Biden administration.
Hamas and Hezbollah have been openly calling for the genocide of Jews worldwide. So naturally the UN attacks Israel.
Yeah, because Oct. 7th was all hugs and kisses.
Hamas in reality, no longer exists.
With the killing of Hamas and Hezbollah and Iranian commanders in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s Nasrallah has been put on notice.
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