International Court of Justice Begins Hearing South Africa's Complaint Against Israel for 'Genocide'

Judges at the International Court of Justice began a two-day session on Thursday, January 11, to address South Africa's complaint against Israel, accusing it of 'genocide' against Palestinians during the assault on Gaza. The Israeli assault on Gaza was aimed at destroying Hamas and followed a terrorist attack by this Iran-backed Islamist group on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 140 hostages taken. South Africa has requested the court to hold Israel accountable for 'violating' the genocide convention and to guarantee 'immediate and complete protection for the Palestinians in Gaza who are at serious and immediate risk of... genocide.' Israel has dismissed South Africa's allegations as 'baseless.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that his country's forces are making every effort to minimize civilian casualties. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is fighting 'in full compliance with international law' against 'Hamas terrorists and not the Palestinian people,' and once again accused Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as 'human shields.' The United States, which has recently urged Israel to take further measures to protect Palestinian civilian lives during the assault aimed at destroying Hamas, has rejected South Africa's allegations against Israel. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Tuesday, reiterated that Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, along with their supporter, the Islamic Republic of Iran, continue to seek the destruction of Israel and the genocide of Jews. The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, claims that over 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed due to Israeli attacks, without mentioning the number of Hamas casualties during Israel's operations against this Islamist group. The Persian section of Voice of America cannot independently verify the statistics and information provided by Hamas. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and several other countries. The United States rejected South Africa's claim, stating that there is no evidence of 'genocide' in Gaza. Israel is going to The Hague to respond to South Africa's accusation of 'genocide in Gaza.' The unwavering support of UN Security Council members for the U.S. proposed resolution; Houthi attacks on free shipping must be stopped. Intensification of Israeli attacks in Gaza despite promises to reduce forces. The end of Blinken's trip to Israel; the U.S. will respond to Houthi movements in the Red Sea. Blinken urged the Israeli government to avoid harming Palestinian civilians in Gaza.