The Pan-African movement, Africans Risings, has charged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to assume responsibility by acting to stop Israel’s war on Gaza.
Africans Rising in a January 25 statement, described the war as a genocide against the Palestinian people living in Gaza and urged the ICJ to holistically scrutinise the evidence South Africa brought before it against Israel’s actions.
The Republic of South Africa is alleging that Israel is responsible for violations of the Genocide Convention in respect of its actions taken in Gaza, allegations which Israel rejects.
South Africa’s case in The Hague argues that Israel violated the 1948 genocide convention, established in the aftermath of the Holocaust, which mandates that all countries prevent the recurrence of such crimes. It filed an 84-page document with the court detailing acts it says amount to genocide in Gaza.
Below is Africans Risings full statement.
The International Court of Justice shall announce its verdict on the request for provisional measures in the genocide case brought against Israel by South Africa. We firmly believe that South Africa has made a credible and compelling case and has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The evidence is so glaring for all to see. Among others, Israel has engaged in the:
1. Killing of more than 25,000 people including over 12,000 civilians. The deliberate targeting of civilian population and infrastructure including more than 300 attacks on hospitals (according to the WHO)
2. Use of chemical weapons (white phosphorus) by Israeli forces in Gaza as verified by Human Rights Watch
3. Expression of genocidal intent in contravention of the Genocide Convention. The Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made allusions to Amalek, using Biblical allegory to justify ethnic cleansing of the civilian Palestinian population.
4. Use of starvation as a weapon of war by cutting off water, fuel, food, electricity in contravention of international law
5. Expansion of settlements in the West Bank in contravention of UNSC Resolutions
For this reason, Africans Rising expects the ICJ to follow the dictates of international law. It must rise up to its responsibility to stop the ongoing genocide. The case brought by South Africa does not only put apartheid Israel on trial. It also puts the ICJ and international law on trial and exposes the eternal hypocrisy of America and Europe. Therefore as the Court delivers its judgment tomorrow, the Court itself will be judged. We salute South Africa for this bold leadership and moral courage.
Africans Rising affirms our solidarity with the Palestinian people and supports their right to an independent state.
As we stated in our previous statement, Israel has maintained a system of brutal oppression on the people of Palestine for over 75 years. The occupation must end. The apartheid must end. Palestine must be free, from the river to the sea.