During hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel strongly denied the accusations of genocide made by South Africa, asserting that its actions in Gaza were solely in self-defense and without any intent to commit genocide. Israel argued that South Africa was distorting the meaning of the term “genocide” and emphasized that its military operations in Gaza targeted specific groups, not the Palestinian population as a whole. Israel requested the dismissal of the case as baseless and opposed South Africa’s plea to halt the war.
The German government also expressed its opposition to the genocide allegations against Israel, firmly rejecting them at the ICJ. While acknowledging different international opinions on Israel’s military operations in Gaza, Germany rejected the accusation of genocide.
Both Israel and South Africa are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, which prohibits them from committing genocide and obliges them to prevent and punish it. Israel emphasized its awareness of the convention’s adoption, highlighting the collective memory of the Holocaust. It stated that the convention was designed to address exceptional circumstances, not the impact of intensive hostilities on civilians during warfare.
Israel accused South Africa of weaponizing the term “genocide” against it and stressed the importance of truth and accuracy in the courtroom. The United Nations defines genocide as acts committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The ICJ’s final decision on the case will take years, but the current hearings focus on South Africa’s request for provisional measures, which are restraining orders meant to prevent the escalation of the dispute.
Israel presented evidence of atrocities committed by Hamas during its attacks against Israeli civilians, highlighting the nature of the threat it faces. It argued that South Africa’s claim of genocidal intent by Israeli leadership was refuted by statements made by Israeli leaders that demonstrated otherwise. Israel also asserted its compliance with international humanitarian law and its efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
Israel concluded its defense by urging the court to reject South Africa’s request for provisional measures, stating that it would hinder its ability to defend itself while allowing Hamas to continue its attacks. The ICJ’s panel of 15 judges, expanded for this case with an additional judge from each side, will decide on the emergency measures in the near future.
