Israel cites ‘already debunked lies’ as ICJ Gaza genocide hearing ends
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) resumed on Friday the second of a two-day hearing in a genocide case against Israel, with the regime’s legal team providing “many of the already debunked lies,” about Tel Aviv’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip, according to a Palestinian official.
South Africa’s team of legal representatives presented the case in front of the UN court – based in The Hague – on Thursday, saying the regime has shown “chilling” and “incontrovertible” intent to commit genocide in Gaza, with full knowledge of how many civilians it is killing.
As the hearing was underway, Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip has claimed the lives of at least 100 Palestinians over the past 24-hour reporting period.
“The acts are all attributable to Israel, which has failed to prevent genocide and is committing genocide in manifest violation of the genocide convention,” the case states.
Tal Becker, a top lawyer representing Tel Aviv, however, told the court on Friday that South Africa had “regrettably put before the court a profoundly distorted factual and legal picture.”
“If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel,” he claimed.
“In these circumstances, there can hardly be a charge more false and more malevolent than the allegation against Israel of genocide.”
Palestinian foreign ministry official Ammar Hijazi said what the regime’s representatives presented to the court “are many of the already debunked lies.”
“Additionally, we think that what the Israeli team today has tried to provide is the exact thing that South Africa came to the court for – and that is, nothing at all justifies genocide.”
South Africa’s Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola also spoke to members of press outside the ICJ, saying that Israel failed to disprove Pretoria’s case at the World Court.
He said that the regime “failed to disprove South Africa as compelling that was presented before the Court.”
In response to Israel counsel Malcolm Shaw, who described the regime’s atrocities in Gaza as “act of self defense, Lamola also said, “Self -defense is no answer to genocide. Nothing can ever justify genocide.”
In Tel Aviv, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a furious response to the hearings that the regime itself is “fighting genocide.
