By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has on Tuesday, slammed genocide charges against Israel in its war against Hamas as “meritless” but expressed concern over the daily toll of war on civilians in Gaza is far too high.
Blinken made the comment at a press conference after talks in Tel Aviv with Israeli leaders.
He acknowledged “more needs to be done to protect innocent civilians” in both Israel and the Gaza Strip, amid renewed calls for a cease-fire.
Blinken said the United States rejected any proposals advocating a resettlement of Palestinians outside Gaza and stressed that the Palestinian authority has responsibility to reform itself.
Blinken, who visited several other countries in the Middle East this week, also said that many countries in the Middle East are ready to invest in the future of Gaza, but only with a clear pathway to a Palestinian state.
South Africa filed the lawsuit claiming that Israel violated the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of genocide with its actions in Gaza, requesting an injunction.
Hearings in the case are set to take place at The Hague later this week.
The international court of justice (ICJ) – not to be confused with the international criminal court (ICC), which tries individuals for war crimes – is the UN’s top court. Established in 1945, it is based in The Hague and rules on disputes between countries as well as giving advisory opinions.
It has 15 judges – which will be expanded by an additional judge from each side in the Israel case – elected for nine-year terms by the UN general assembly and the security council.
South Africa has accused Israel of genocide in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, saying among other things that it has the “specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group”.
In its 84-page filing it also says Israel has failed to prevent genocide and failed to prosecute officials who have publicly incited genocide.
The Gaza war began after Hamas gunmen launched their unprecedented October 7 attack that resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Militants of Hamas, considered a “terrorist” group by the United States and European Union, also took around 250 hostages. Israel says 132 of them remain captive, including at least 25 believed to have been killed.
Israel has responded with relentless bombardment and a ground invasion of Gaza that has killed at least 23,210 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.