Judges at the International Court of Justice began two days of hearings Thursday in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide in its war in Gaza.
South Africa is asking the court to demand an emergency suspension of the Israeli campaign in Gaza, where Israeli says it is seeking to eliminate the Hamas militant group in response to an October 7 terror attack in southern Israel.
A written filing from South Africa said it wants the court to hold Israel accountable for violations of the Genocide Convention, and to "ensure the urgent and fullest possible protection for Palestinians in Gaza who remain at grave and immediate risk of continuing and further acts of genocide."
Israel has dismissed the accusations as baseless.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Wednesday that Israeli forces are doing all they can to minimize civilian casualties, and he accused Hamas militants of using civilians as human shields.
"Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law," Netanyahu said.
The United States, which has urged Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza while also backing Israel’s campaign against Hamas, also objected to the South African accusations.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday dismissed the case as "meritless."
"It is particularly galling, given that those who are attacking Israel — Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as their supporter Iran — continue to call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews," he said.
Hamas killed about 1,200 people in its October attack on Israel and captured 240 hostages, nearly half of whom have been released.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry says Israel’s counteroffensive has killed more than 23,300 Palestinians, with vast swaths of Gaza left in rubble and 85% of its population of 2.3 million displaced.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
