South Africa has called on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to demand that Israel cease its attack on Rafah, as part of its lawsuit alleging Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians, as reported by Al Jazeera on Thursday.
South Africa, which initiated its case in January regarding Israel’s conflict in Gaza, is requesting further urgent actions concerning its military campaign in Rafah, a city located in the southern Gaza Strip. Rafah has become a refuge for over one million displaced Palestinians fleeing Israeli assaults in other areas of the territory.
During proceedings in The Hague on Thursday, South Africa informed the court that the Palestinian population is enduring “ongoing annihilation,” and the attack on Rafah was “part of the endgame in which Gaza is utterly destroyed”.
Despite “explicit warnings” of potentially “genocidal” repercussions, Israel continues its assaults in Rafah, stated South African lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi. Israel, dismissing South Africa’s assertion that it breaches the 1949 Genocide Convention as groundless, will provide its response on Friday, according to Al Jazeera. Just before the court session commenced, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant affirmed that the heavily scrutinized operation in Rafah “will continue as additional forces will enter”
Rafah, a small and densely populated city, has become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in tents, grappling with the rapid spread of diseases and severe shortages of food and clean water, as reported by Al Jazeera. The sole hospital in the area has closed down, leaving only a small overwhelmed facility to handle medical needs.
Previously, judges at the ICJ issued provisional measures, directing Israel to take steps to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Gaza. Among these measures was ensuring prompt delivery of basic food supplies to Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom are experiencing severe hunger, with some facing famine due to Israel’s complete blockade.
This month, the Israeli military seized and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Aid organizations have cautioned that the closure has significantly impeded their operations.
South Africa emphasized in a written submission to the court that Rafah serves as Gaza’s primary hub for humanitarian assistance. They asserted that “if Rafah falls, so too does Gaza.”
“The thwarting of humanitarian aid cannot be seen as anything but the deliberate snuffing-out of Palestinian lives. Starvation to the point of famine,” lawyer Adila Hassim said.