South Africa urged the United Nations’ top court on Thursday to order a halt to Israel’s offensive in Rafah, saying attacks on the southern Gaza city “must be stopped” to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people. South Africa’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, called for Israel to “immediately, totally and unconditionally, withdraw the Israeli army from the entirety of the Gaza Strip.”
These hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are part of a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. Jerusalem, which has denounced Pretoria’s claim as baseless, will respond on Friday. Last week, South Africa requested additional emergency measures to protect Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians have been sheltering.
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South Africa also asked the court to allow unimpeded access to Gaza for UN officials, humanitarian organizations, and journalists. “From the onset, Israel’s intent was always to destroy Palestinian life and to wipe them off the face of the earth. Rafah is the final stand,” said Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, one of South Africa’s legal team. “Israel must be stopped,” added Adila Hassim, another lawyer for South Africa.
More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s seven-month-old assault on Gaza, officials in the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Thursday. Israel says The conflict began when armed fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 253 others, with 133 believed to remain captive in Gaza.
Israel argues it needs to eliminate Hamas for its protection and claims it has increased efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. South Africa’s attorney Max du Plessis criticized Israel’s declared humanitarian zones as a “cruel distortion,” arguing that those zones often fail to provide real safety or aid.
The ICJ’s rulings are binding but not enforceable, potentially impacting international reputations and setting legal precedents. This week’s hearings focus on emergency measures, with the genocide charge expected to take years to resolve.