South Africa Urges UN Court to Order Israel to End Ground Assault on Rafah in Gaza
In a dramatic hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, South Africa made a passionate plea on Thursday for the judges to order Israel to halt its ground assault on Rafah in southern Gaza. The South African legal team argued that the assault put Palestinian lives in the enclave at imminent risk of destruction.
The hearing came after South Africa requested last week that the court impose further constraints on Israel in its military campaign in Gaza. In court filings, South Africa cited the “irreparable harm” posed by Israel’s incursion into Rafah, where half of the territory’s population had sought refuge.
“It has become increasingly clear that Israel’s actions in Rafah are part of the end game in which Gaza is utterly destroyed as an area capable of human habitation,” said Vaughan Lowe, a British lawyer representing South Africa. “This is the last step in the destruction of Gaza and its Palestinian people.”
The South African legal team, which presented its case over two hours, highlighted the extreme risk to the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza and the ability for hospitals to function due to Israel’s control over major border crossings in southern Gaza.
Members of the team quoted warnings from senior United Nations officials that an assault on Rafah would worsen conditions for civilians and exacerbate the enclave’s hunger crisis. They also pointed to statements by senior Israeli officials that indicated an intent to destroy Gaza as a whole, not just target Hamas.
The legal team called on the court to order Israel to facilitate access to Gaza for aid workers, investigators, fact-finding missions, and journalists. They presented evidence of the devastation caused by Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, including the deaths of children.
Israel has vehemently denied South Africa’s claims, stating that it has not restricted aid entering Gaza and has increased the amount of food and supplies going in. Israel maintains that its assault on Rafah was a precise operation targeting only members of Hamas.
Israel is expected to present its defense before the court on Friday. The court has not indicated when a decision will be issued, but given the urgency of South Africa’s petition, a ruling could come soon.
The hearings are part of South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide, which was filed in December. The main case, dealing with the accusation of genocide, is expected to start next year.
The International Court of Justice, established by the United Nations in 1945, has no means of enforcing its orders. However, the South Africa case has added to international pressure on Israel to rein in its campaign in Gaza.
