South Africa drags Israel to UN court over Gaza, here are top developments

South Africa on 11 January launched a landmark case at the top UN court accusing Israel of breaching the UN Genocide Convention and argued even the deadly October 7 Hamas attack could not justify such alleged actions, reported news agency AFP.

According to the report, Pretoria has lodged an urgent appeal at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to force Israel to “immediately suspend” its military operations in Gaza.

“No armed attack on a state territory, no matter how serious… can provide justification for or defend breaches of the convention,” AFP quoted Pretoria’s Justice Minister Ronald Lamola as saying.

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“Israel’s response to the October 7 attack has crossed this line and given rise to the breaches of the convention,” he added.

Responding to this, Israel has dismissed the case as 'atrocious' and 'preposterous'. It has now vowed to set out a robust defense on Friday.

Here are the developments:

1) Pretoria has lodged an urgent appeal at the ICJ to force Israel to 'immediately suspend' its military operations in Gaza.

2) It alleged Israel’s response to the October 7 attack has crossed this line and given rise to the breaches of the convention.

3) South Africa argued Israel is breaking its commitments under the UN Genocide Convention, a treaty signed in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust.

4) Top lawyer for South Africa Adila Hassim said Israel’s bombing campaign aimed at the 'destruction of Palestinian life'.

5) As a fellow signatory to the treaty, South Africa can take Israel to the ICJ.

6) Meanwhile, has dismissed the case as 'atrocious' and 'preposterous'. It vowed to set out a robust defense on Friday.

7) According to an AFP tally based on official figures, in the Gaza war, about 1,140 people were killed in Israel. While Israel's response with a relentless military campaign has killed at least 23,357 people, said Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

With agency inputs.