Africa-Press – South-Africa. Many who were watching the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing on the South Africa vs Israel matter were beaming with pride as lawyers from South Africa made their arguments.
South Africa has accused Israel of crimes against humanity in its war against Hamas in Gaza and wants the ICJ to order a ceasefire.Social media was abuzz on Thursday with many users giving South Africa kudos for making compelling arguments against Israel and the violence the people of Palestine are on the receiving end of.
The hearing at the Peace Palace in The Hague in Netherlands will hear counterarguments on Friday from lawyers representing Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in Gaza was “hypocrisy and lies”.
In a scathing response, Netanyahu said: “The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens.
“We are fighting terrorists, we are fighting lies. Today [Thursday] we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,” he said.
Israel’s foreign ministry accused South Africa of “functioning as the legal arm of the Hamas terrorist organisation” in a case built on “false and baseless claims”.
The hearing is happening against the backdrop of thousands of Gazans returning to scenes of devastation in the north of the enclave where Israeli forces have started withdrawing.
The war has been going on for three months, destroying much of the coastal enclave.
According to reports by Reuters, 23,000 people have died in the war and nearly 2.3-million Palestinians have been left destitute and displaced.
An Israeli blockade is restricting aid supplies of food, fuel and medicine, creating what the UN says is a humanitarian catastrophe.
The legal team representing South Africa is led by justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola who addressed a press briefing after day 1 of the court proceedings.
“The world has watched in horror as Palestinian men, women and children were slaughtered, blown up, buried alive under the rubble of their homes, left to die painful deaths in unresourced hospitals,” he said.
South Africa’s legal team at the international court:
John Dugard SC
Adila Hassim SC
Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC
Max du Plessis SC
Tshidiso Ramogale
Sarah Pudifin-Jones
Lerato Zikalala
Vaughan Lowe KC
Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC
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