A fire breaks out in the remains of the destroyed al-Huda Mosque after an Israeli military operation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, February 12, 2024. The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has warned Israel to abide by international law in the Gaza Strip, saying his office is investigating the conflict “as a matter of extreme urgency.”Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images
PResident Cyril Ramaphosa's government has again turned to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to demand action against the Israeli government following its attacks on Gaza. The presidential palace said the request was made on Monday.
Pretoria's government urgently requests the World Court to consider whether Israel's announced decision to extend military operations in Rafah violates the rights of Palestinians in Gaza, Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Mugwenya said in a statement. He said he did.
The statement said Rafah is the last refuge for survivors of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli government has faced potentially harmful criticism for using excessive force against Palestinians sheltering in Rafah. Israel's allies, including British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and US President Joe Biden, condemned Tel Aviv following reports of shelling in the area.
In a recently released speech, Prime Minister Cameron said Israel should stop and think seriously before taking further action in Rafah, while Biden said Israel should halt plans to attack Rafah.
The British government abstained from voting to condemn the Gaza war in the UN Security Council, while the US is the only country that can vote to veto Israel.
South Africa has defended its Palestinian policy in international forums, including the United Nations and its agencies.
The government won a decisive victory against Benjamin Netanyahu's government at the ICJ. A court ruled in December in a case initiated by Pretoria that Israel's actions in Gaza could amount to genocide.
Mr. Magwenya said that Article 75(1) of the Rules of Court provides that the ICJ may at any time, in its sole discretion, consider whether the circumstances of a case require interim measures to be taken or complied with by any or all persons. He said that he said he could do it. of the parties involved.
“In a request filed with the court yesterday, the South African government expresses its grave concern that the unprecedented military attack on Rafah announced by the State of Israel has already caused mass killings and will lead to even more mass killings in the future. “We are concerned about “harm and destruction,'' Mgwenya said.
“This constitutes a serious and irreversible breach of both the Genocide Convention and the court order of 26 January 2024. I believe he will demonstrate his true potential.”