Pandor demands ICC prioritise case against Israel

South Africa launched a case at the top UN court in December, accusing the country of committing "genocidal" acts in its war against Hamas in Gaza. 

According to a statement, the ICJ application related to alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Genocide Convention and said that "Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza”.

The ICC, based in The Hague, has been investigating Israel's actions in the occupied territories for the past three years - and more recently the actions of Hamas as well.

Pandor delivered the opening address at the Global Anti-Apartheid Conference in Palestine on Friday.

The war in Gaza started after Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel's relentless retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,568 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the besieged Hamas-run enclave.

Pandor said there is a need for Israel to resettle residents of northern Gaza. 

"We need to stress that there can be no solution to the situation for as long as the international community continues to ignore Israel's systematic human rights transgressions and settler colonial apartheid project and, through it, sustains the illegal Israeli settler project at the cost of Palestinian liberation". 

The ICC judges are expected to take about six months to deliver an opinion in the case.

Pandor reiterated that South Africa will continue to do everything to preserve the existence of the Palestinian people as a group.

"All of us, as humanity, should be ashamed today that more than 35,000 people have died, and here we are sitting while more are killed. Maybe if we could find a way, we should all go to Palestine and be the wall of protection of civilian people.” 

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