A protestor holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration simultaneously at the hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, January 11, 2024. Photo by Robin Utrecht / ANP / AFP
Doha, Qatar: The hearing in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel began today at the International Court of Justice.
South Africa filed the lawsuit in December, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza and is seeking a halt to the brutal military assault.
Several countries have welcomed the move amid a global chorus for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Meanwhile at least 23,357 people have been killed and more than 59,410 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.
Watch this page for more live updates:
[7:30pm Doha Time] Israeli attack on Khan Younis kills several Palestinians
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reports that an Israeli bombardment has struck a car in the al-Manara neighbourhood in the southern city in the Gaza Strip, killing multiple Palestinians.
The exact death toll was not immediately clear.
[3:30pm Doha Time] Madonsela lists consequences of not intervening in Gaza war
Today’s hearing has now adjourned
South Africa’s representatives have concluded their arguments.
Vusimuzi Madonsela, a representative for South Africa, told the court that South Africa has come to the ICJ “to prevent genocide and to do so in the discharge of the international obligation that rests on South Africa and all other states under the convention”.
South Africa Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola and South African Ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela attend the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on January 11, 2024. (Photo by Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP)
“The consequences of not indicating clear and specific provisional measures and not taking steps to intervene while Israel disregards its international obligations before our eyes would, we fear, be very grave indeed:
- for the Palestinians in Gaza who remain at real risk of further genocidal acts
- for the integrity of the convention, for the rights of South Africa, and
- for the reputation of this court which is equipped with and must exercise its powers to afford an effective realisation of the rights under the convention.
[3pm Doha Time] Israel denies bombing Gaza ambulance, 4 killing medics
The Israeli military denied it was behind the bombing of an ambulance in the central Gaza Strip that killed four medics and two other people.
“A review was conducted based on the details provided to the [Israeli military] which shows no strike was carried out in the described area,” the army said in a statement to AFP news agency.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said six people were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli strike on its ambulance at the entrance to the Deir el-Balah area of central Gaza.
The roof of the ambulance was completely destroyed and part of the vehicle crushed, AFP photos show.
Palestinian Red Crescent personnel check a destroyed ambulance in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on January 11, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
[12pm Doha Time] Top UN court opens hearings on South Africa's allegation
Proceedings at the International Court of Justice have started.
Joan Donoghue, current president of the ICJ, is introducing South African Judge Dikgang Ernest Moseneke and Israeli Judge Aharon Barak who have both taken oath as ad hoc judges for this case.
[11:45am Doha Time] South Africans welcome ICJ genocide case against Israel
South Africa’s move to take Israel to the International Court of Justice over genocide charges has been welcomed by many South Africans.
Today, many have gathered outside the Palestinian embassy in Pretoria to watch the proceedings.
Given South Africa’s history of apartheid, colonialism and racism, this is something many South Africans identify with very strongly in terms of the subjugation of a particular ethnic group.
South Africa’s government says Israel, as the occupier of a territory and a people, has the obligation to abide by the UN conventions and prevent genocide, including what it calls “collective punishment”.
[11:30am Doha Time] ‘Compelling argument that genocide is being committed in Gaza’
South Africa’s Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola told Al Jazeera that the country has brought the case to the ICJ because “there is a compelling argument that genocide is being committed in Gaza”.
“There is a compelling argument that genocide is being committed in Gaza on the basis that there is an annihilation or cleansing of a civilian population, innocent civilians, children and women that have been displaced [and] the targeting of public infrastructure in Gaza,” Lamola said.
He added that statements made by Israeli politicians and military figures indicated that they “aimed to annihilate the entire population of Palestine from the Gaza Strip”.
[11:15am Doha Time] Ship in Gulf of Oman boarded by ‘unauthorised’ people
A ship in the Gulf of Oman has been boarded by “unauthorised” people, an advisory group run by the British military says.
Details about the incident remained unclear. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, said the incident occurred in waters between Oman and Iran. Read more
[11am Doha Time] Shop-owner converts store into makeshift health facility
Zaki Shaheen, a former Gaza health ministry staffer, has converted his shop into a makeshift medical clinic to help the wounded and ill in the southern border city of Rafah.
Rafah has been overrun with hundreds of thousands of displaced people fleeing fighting further north. Shaheen said he’s worked in emergency care “my whole life”.
“So we decided to open a medical department and we got help from the health ministry,” he said, noting the goal is to take pressure off of already-overburdened hospitals.
“We receive no less than 30 or 40 cases per day, morning to night. I’ll be sleeping then someone comes in with an injury or a burn, so we treat them.”
[10am Doha Time] Palestine Red Crescent highlights victim of ambulance attack
The Palestine Red Crescent Society has named one of its members killed in an Israeli attack on its ambulance as Fouad Khamash, 28.
Khamash, a volunteer photographer, “bravely risked his life to spotlight the challenges faced by humanitarian workers in Gaza”, it said.
Fouad Khamash, a 28-year-old volunteer photographer with the Palestine Red Crescent, bravely risked his life to spotlight the challenges faced by humanitarian workers in #Gaza.
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) January 11, 2024
????He documented the harsh realities encountered by PRCS ambulance crews, capturing rare moments of joy… pic.twitter.com/uJGBy0uzmM
Khamash was among four ambulance crew members killed in the attack on Wednesday at the entrance of Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza. Israeli forces “intentionally targeted” the vehicle, it said.
The killings bring to 11 the number of PRCS medics killed since October 7, the group’s spokesperson Nebal Farsakh said.
