Pretoria: South Africa announced on Sunday that it is reviewing Israel's response submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the genocide case filed over alleged violations of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation stated that it has acknowledged Israel's response, which was submitted on March 12, to South Africa's written pleadings in the case initiated under the Genocide Convention at the ICJ.
According to Anadolu Agency, South Africa will evaluate Israel's response to determine whether to request the Court's permission to submit further written replies or to proceed directly to the oral phase of the proceedings. The Department's statement emphasized that despite three binding ICJ rulings requiring Israel to prevent acts of genocide, allow humanitarian assistance, and implement a ceasefire in 2025, destruction and loss of life in Gaza continue without interruption.
The statement also mentioned that the situation in Gaza is worsened by the escalating crisis in the Gulf and ongoing attacks by Israel on Lebanon, warning of the potential for these developments to expand the conflict with serious implications for regional and international peace and security. The statement underscored South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's commitment to upholding the promises of the Genocide Convention and the UN Charter.
South Africa filed the case at the ICJ on December 29, 2023, accusing Israel of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Due to the urgent humanitarian situation in Gaza, South Africa requested the court to order provisional measures. On January 26, March 28, and May 24, 2024, the court issued three orders requiring Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent acts covered by Article 2 of the Genocide Convention, ensure that its military prevents genocidal acts, halt military operations in Rafah that could create genocide conditions, and regularly report to the court on its actions.