Israel has mobilised a legal team to appear before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for hearings set for Thursday and Friday. This move comes in response to a genocide lawsuit brought forth by South Africa against Tel Aviv.
On Wednesday, an Israeli defence delegation departed for The Hague to attend the hearings concerning South Africa’s plea for “additional measures” regarding the genocide allegations amidst an Israeli military operation in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip, as stated by the Israeli public broadcaster, KAN.
Aharon Barak, Israel’s designated judge at the ICJ, arrived in The Hague on Tuesday. Barak was appointed by Israel in January as its ad hoc judge for the ICJ, in accordance with the Court’s regulations allowing countries involved in a complaint to nominate a judge ad hoc. While the defence team is yet to confirm its course of action, it is anticipated that Israel will present its arguments during Friday’s court session.
Concerns loom in Israel over the possibility of a court order to halt its bombardment in Rafah. Last Friday, South Africa urgently petitioned the ICJ for additional measures in response to ongoing Israeli assaults in Gaza, particularly in Rafah.
The Israeli military initiated a ground offensive in Rafah on May 6, causing the displacement of approximately 1.5 million Palestinians, with UNRWA estimating that half a million have fled the city since the onslaught began.
Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip was launched in retaliation for an attack on October 7, 2023, which claimed about 1,200 lives, according to the Israeli government. However, revelations by Haaretz suggest that helicopters and tanks from the Israeli army were responsible for many of the 1,139 casualties initially attributed to Hamas.
The toll in Gaza continues to rise, with over 35,230 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, killed and more than 79,140 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. In the West Bank, nearly 500 Palestinians have lost their lives, with thousands injured since October 7, alongside routine Israeli military arrests.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the ICJ, following an interim ruling in January that ordered it to cease genocidal actions and ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.