The South African government reported on its International Relations and Cooperation website on Monday that South Africa has submitted a memorial to the International Court of Justice regarding the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Due to ICJ regulations, details of this monument are not being made public at this time. Nevertheless, the southern African country’s government noted that the application coincides with rising civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and escalating tensions in Lebanon.
According to the announcement, the memorial alleges that Israel violated the Genocide Convention by facilitating the destruction of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks after being re-elected as President of South Africa at the first post-election parliamentary session at the Cape Town International Conference Center (CTICC) in Cape Town, South Africa, on June 14, 2024. (Credit): Reuters/Nick Bosma)
The charges include using weapons of destruction to kill civilians, obstructing humanitarian aid, creating life-threatening situations for physical destruction, and using them as weapons of war to “depopulate Gaza through mass death and forced displacement.” This includes the use of starvation, the announcement said.
global solidarityThe evidence cited by the announcement, consisting of more than 750 pages of text and an additional 4,000 pages of exhibits, alleges that Israel’s actions are motivated by a specific intent to commit genocide; South Africa claims it does not prevent or punish sedition, a spokesperson said. The government emphasized.
The monument calls on the international community not to forget the plight of the Palestinian people and appeals for solidarity in stopping the ongoing alleged genocide. The announcement further asserted that the move was based on Israel’s history of failure to comply with its international obligations, despite intervention by the ICJ and United Nations agencies.
The announcement emphasized that South Africa’s proceedings against Israel through the ICJ aim to recreate the global solidarity that helped end apartheid, quoting President Cyril Ramaphosa as saying:
