South Africa’s government has urgently appealed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to assess whether Israel’s planned ground offensive in Rafah, Gaza, violates the court’s provisional orders issued last month, according to a statement released Tuesday, 13 February, by the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The request comes amid concerns that the offensive could further endanger the rights of Palestinians in the already besieged territory, and represents a breach of provisional orders the court handed down last month in a case alleging genocide.
South Africa argued in a court case that Israel’s actions in the Gaza conflict with Hamas might constitute violations of the Genocide Convention. The court delivered an initial ruling last month.
The court issued six provisional orders, including urging Israel to take necessary steps to prevent harm to civilians and minimize damage in Gaza. South Africa had sought a court-mandated ceasefire, but the judges did not impose that measure.
South Africa expressed deep concern regarding Israel’s planned military operation in Rafah, citing potential violations of the Genocide Convention and a January 26th, 2024 court order.
The statement emphasized the urgency of the matter due to the rising death toll in Gaza and requested swift action from the court.
The heavily populated southern Gaza city of Rafah was subjected to a violent assault by Israeli troops on February 12, 2024, which killed over 100 civilians, including women and children.
Numerous injuries were sustained during the offensive, leaving local hospitals severely short-staffed with medical supplies.
The director of the Kuwait facility in Rafah, Suhaib Al-Hams, outlined the difficulties the facility is facing, including an influx of patients with severe injuries and a lack of necessary supplies.
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