President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: Felix Dlangamandla/Gallo Images
South Africa has submitted forensic evidence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, President Cyril Ramaphosa's office announced.
The South African affidavit, named a memorial, should serve as a reminder to the international community of the plight of the Palestinian people, the president's office said.
“The clear genocide in Gaza is visible to all who are not blinded by prejudice,” the newspaper said.
“The South African memorial is a reminder to the international community to remember the Palestinian people, stand in solidarity with them and prevent catastrophe.
“This devastation and suffering has been made possible only because of Israel's failure to comply with its international obligations, despite the actions and interventions of the ICJ and numerous United Nations bodies.”
Parliament passed a ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the largest provider of food and health aid to Gaza residents, despite traditional allies including the United States and Germany urging Israel to withdraw. The bill was introduced on the same day. Measure.
With the passage of the ban, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that domestic law cannot circumvent Israel's obligations under international law and the UN Charter.
In March, South Africa said in one of its court applications for an interim order against Israel that the attempt to cripple government institutions was a deliberate attempt on the part of Israel to cause starvation among Palestinian children. He claimed that it was one of the acts.
The country's case in The Hague is based on accusations that the Jewish state is violating the United Nations Genocide Convention, adopted in 1948 in response to the Holocaust, and is the cornerstone of the country's campaign to reform multilateral institutions. It becomes.
In court arguments in January, the defense team argued that calls by Israeli officials to annihilate all people living in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas massacres in southern Israel are often couched in religious rhetoric. , claimed there was evidence of genocidal intent. In October 2023.
The Office of the President and the Ministry of International Relations said the more than 750 pages of evidence presented in the memorial on Monday would provide further forensic evidence of genocidal intent in Gaza.
The appendices and exhibits accompanying the text span 4,000 pages.
“The evidence shows that what underpins Israel's acts of genocide is a specific intent to commit genocide, that Israel has failed to prevent the incitement to genocide and to prevent genocide itself, and that “This will show that those who instigated and carried out the attack were not punished,” the presidential office said.
The government has not made public the monument public because it is the prerogative of courts to do so, but it contains convincing evidence of violations of the Genocide Convention, including the deprivation of humanitarian aid and the use of mass starvation as a weapon of war. He said there was. Furthering Israel's goal of depopulating the Gaza Strip through mass death and forced displacement of Palestinians. ”
The report said there was evidence of further intentions in Israel's rejection of interim measures ordered by the ICJ to prevent further death and suffering in the Gaza Strip.
South Africa has applied to the court three times for interim measures since an interim ruling in January ruled that the Palestinians' right to protection from genocide was at risk of being violated.
In May, in response to one of these applications, the court ordered Israel to cease military operations in Rafah, south of Gaza.
In view of the deteriorating situation in Rafah, the court ordered in a 13-point order that Israel “immediately cease military attacks and other actions within the Rafah governorate that are likely to worsen living conditions for the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.” It passed with a majority vote of 2. May cause physical destruction in whole or in part. ”
South Africa hailed the verdict as a landmark and binding decision, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately rejected it, calling the genocide charges “false and outrageous” and calling Israel's He denied that the action would “lead to the destruction of the Palestinian people.” Civilian.”
Both Ramaphosa and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola pointed to Israel's persistent military actions in Gaza and the invasion of Lebanon as evidence that the UN Security Council is failing in its peace and security mandate.
Lamola argued that by taking the matter to court and framing Israel's actions in terms of law, South Africa had changed the perception of Israel's actions and contributed to calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
A number of countries, including Spain, Mexico and Turkey, filed for intervention under Articles 62 and 63 to take part in this issue.
At the same time, however, this case highlighted the practical limits of resorting to tribunals established to resolve disputes between United Nations member states.
The Security Council stalled for five months before passing a resolution in March calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza during Ramadan. At that time, the United States abstained from voting.
In September, it vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
In presenting the monument, South Africa reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine, Lebanon and across the Middle East, as the start of a political process that could conclude a lasting peace agreement.
On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building housing refugees in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza. The Gaza government said more than 90 people were killed in the attack.
Ramaphosa said that as long as the UN Charter has existed, Israel has been granted “unprecedented impunity for violations of international law.”
“Israel's continued subversion of international law is endangering the global governing institutions established to hold all nations accountable.”
“This devastation and suffering has been made possible only because of Israel's failure to comply with its international obligations, despite the actions and interventions of the ICJ and numerous United Nations bodies.”
Israel has until mid-2025 to submit rebuttal evidence to the ICJ, and it could take years before a final ruling is reached in the matter.
