SA urges ICJ to intervene over Israel military operation in Rafah
The South African government appealed to the International Court of Justice on Tuesday for intervention after Israel announced that it was extending its military operation in Rafah.
More than a million displaced Palestinians have fled to Rafah amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said South Africa wants the court to use its power to prevent any further breach of the rights of Palestinians.
"Under Article 75(1) of the Rules of Court,The Court may at any time decide to examine whether the circumstances of the case require the indication of provisional measures which ought to be taken or complied with by any or all of the parties," said Magwenya.
"In a request submitted to the court on Monday, the South African government said it was gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah, as announced by the State of Israel, has already led to and will result in further large scale killing, harm and destruction. This would be in serious and irreparable breach both of the Genocide Convention and of the Court's Order of 26 January 2024."
Magwenya said South Africa believes the matter will be dealt with on an urgent basis in light of the daily death toll in Gaza.
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