South Africa says it is reviewing Israel’s response submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the genocide case related to the war in Gaza.
In a statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed that Israel submitted its response on March 12 to South Africa’s written pleadings filed under the Genocide Convention.
The government said it will now examine the response before deciding whether to submit additional written arguments or move directly to the oral hearings phase of the case.
South African officials also stressed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critical despite several binding rulings issued by the ICJ.
According to the statement, the court had previously ordered Israel to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and ensure humanitarian aid access, while calling for steps to reduce violence.
Pretoria warned that the ongoing destruction and loss of life in Gaza, combined with rising tensions in the Gulf and Israeli attacks in Lebanon, risk further widening the regional conflict.
South Africa filed the case against Israel at the ICJ on December 29, 2023, accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The ICJ has since issued three provisional orders in 2024, instructing Israel to prevent genocidal acts, ensure its military does not commit such actions, halt operations in Rafah that could create genocidal conditions, and report regularly to the court.
Source: TRT Africa
