WATCH: Celebrities support SA’s ICJ case against Israel

Support continues to grow for South Africa following its Gaza case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with a number of celebrities making their voices heard.

Actors, including Game of Thrones stars Charles Dance, Carice van Houten, Liam Cunnigham and Lena Headey, have contributed to a series of videos supporting South Africa’s historic against Israel alleged genocide at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Other actors included Susan Sarandon, Cynthia Nixon, The Crown actors Khalid Abdalla and Tobias Menzies.

Watch celebrities supporting South Africa in its Gaza genocide case against Israel

Actors support SA

The group of mostly American and British celebrities read out loud the 84-page case against Israel to raise awareness about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

South Africa filed an urgent case before the court last month, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

The country has asked the court to issue several orders, including for Israel to “immediately suspend” its Gaza offensive; to stop forced displacement; to enable humanitarian access to thousands of displaced Palestinians; and to preserve evidence.

Dance said: “It is important to place the acts of genocide in the broader context of Israel’s conduct towards Palestinians during its 75-year long apartheid, its 56-year long belligerent occupation of Palestinian territory and its 16-year long blockade of Gaza including the serious and ongoing violations of international law.”

ALSO READ: Watch: SA’s arguments and requests against Israel at the International Court of Justice

Sarandon shared her sentiments about the soaring death toll in Gaza as Israel continues its relentless attack on the enclave.

The video series is published by the Palestine Festival of Literature, a British-based cultural association committed to “the creation of language and ideas for combating colonialism in the 21st century.”

The Palestine Festival of Literature that said “every state has a legal duty to support South Africa’s case” and urged people to pressure their countries to show their support.

ICJ genocide case

During oral arguments on Thursday, South Africa’s top legal minds argued that “Israel’s attack on Gaza extends beyond the fight against Hamas but is “embedded in the fabric of Palestinian life in Gaza” and underscores the “very essence of our shared humanity”.

South Africa contends that Israel has transgressed Article 2 of the Genocide Convention by committing actions that fall within the definition of genocide.

It told the 15 judges that Gaza was now a concentration camp where genocide was taking place.

However, in its defence of claims of genocide, Israel on Friday argued that it has been unfairly accused of atrocities in Gaza by Hamas.  Its arguments were based on its alleged right to self-defence.

Israel claimed South Africa had tailored “its story to a pre-existing narrative” and the allegation of intent to commit genocide is baseless.

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘Israel’s attack on Gaza beyond the fight against Hamas’ – Ngcukaitobi

Justice minister Ronald Lamola addressing the worlds media following the case on Friday said South Africa’s legal team presented a “compelling and forensically detailed case”, while Israel “failed dismally” to respond to legal arguments.

“This is not revenge from South Africa against Israel. We are standing on the principle that any apartheid state, anywhere in the world – [apartheid] has been declared as a crime against humanity. So, it should never be allowed to happen anywhere and that is a UN Convention.”

Interim measures

Lamola also rubbished claims that South Africa is acting as a legal arm of Hamas after the Israeli government accused South Africa of “functioning as the legal arm of the organisation”, and labelling the ICJ case “one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy in history”.

Lamola said Israel’s claims are baseless and have no merit.

South Africa has asked the ICJ to grant interim measures to stop Israel’s attacks in Gaza and protect the lives of Palestinians while it decides on the merits of the genocide accusations.

The ICJ said an order would be made in a public sitting on a date that will be communicated in due course as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the world to protest against the war in Gaza, as it nears the 100-day mark, and to demand an end to Israel’s offensive.

Meanwhile, as the ICJ deliberates on the case, the death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 23 400 people, about 70% of them women and children, while 59 600 have been injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Israel’s response to SA’s accusations of genocide at the ICJ