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South Africa files 750 pages of evidence against Israel in ICJ genocide case
Israel has until the summer of 2025 to respond to South Africa's claim that the Jewish state is committing genocide in Gaza, for which the BRICS member nation has now presented 750 pages' worth of evidence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Just days before the month of November commences, South Africa filed a detailed submission to the ICJ outlining all gathered evidence that Israel is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention with its ongoing crusade on Gaza and the Palestinian people who live there.
According to the South African presidency, the submission, also known as a memorial, includes 750 pages detailing every known act of genocide and genocidal intent by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
"The evidence will show that undergirding Israel's genocidal acts is the special intent to commit genocide, a failure by Israel to prevent incitement to genocide, to prevent genocide itself and its failure to punish those inciting and committing acts of genocide," the South African presidency said in a statement about the 750 pages full of text, which also included more than 4,000 pages of annexes.
"South Africa's Memorial is a reminder to the global community to remember the people of Palestine, to stand in solidarity with them and to stop the catastrophe. The devastation and suffering has been possible only because despite the ICJ and numerous UN bodies' actions and interventions, Israel has failed to comply with its international obligations."
(Related: Back in June, Spain joined South Africa in its ICJ genocide case against Israel.)
Israel intended from the start to commit genocide, says South Africa
In accordance with the rules of the court, the documents full of evidence submitted by South Africa are not allowed to be made public, meaning you will not get to see what they contain. Israel now has until July 28, 2025, to file a response, also known as a counter-memorial.
The filing is a continuation of the original one that South Africa filed in December of 2023 accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention. The original 84-page application accuses Israel of committing acts aimed at destroying the Palestinian people, also known as ethnic cleansing or genocide, "who are defined as a national, racial and ethnic group, in whole or in part," according to Middle East Eye (MEE).
"[South Africa] also alleged that Israel has failed to prevent or punish such acts."
Within that original filing were statements collected from various Israeli officials who expressed "genocidal intent" with regards to the actions of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza after the October 7 Hamas incident, as well as a detailed list of all alleged actions that Israel has committed constituting genocide.
"The acts include killings; causing serious bodily and mental harm; mass expulsion and displacement; and deprivation of access to adequate food, water, shelter, clothes, hygiene, and medical assistance," MEE further explains.
In response to the original filing from South Africa, the ICJ issued a statement on January 26 of this year admitting that it is plausible Israel breached the Genocide Convention. As an emergency measure, the ICJ ordered Israel at the time to have its army refrain from committing any further acts of genocide against Palestinians.
As of this writing, Israel is ignoring these orders and forging on its with full eradication mission. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that he will not bend to anyone's demands as he and only he knows what needs to be done to achieve Israel's endgame goals.
Israel patently rejects all claims that it is committing genocide in Gaza or anywhere else, calling these accusations a "distortion" of the Genocide Convention.
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