South African advocate Adila Hassim arguing South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Photo: X/@AdHaque110
South African advocate Adila Hassim says South Africa’s genocide case against Israel underscores the “very essence of our shared humanity”.
A huge contingent of diplomats from all over the world descended on the Peace Palace at The Hague on Thursday for South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
South Africa filed an urgent case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month, accusing it of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
South Africa is presenting oral arguments on Thursday, while Israel will make its case on Friday.
Hassim provided an overview of the risks of genocidal acts and the perpetual vulnerability to acts of genocide committed by Israel.
“This is a case that underscores the very essence of our shared humanity as expressed in the preamble to the Genocide Convention…
“South Africa contends that Israel has transgressed Article 2 of the Convention by committing actions that fall within the definition of genocide. The actions show systematic patterns of conduct from which genocide can be inferred.”
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Hassim said the “first genocidal act is the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza” while showing photos of mass graves where bodies were buried, “often unidentified”.
“Israel deployed 6,000 bombs per week. At least 200 times, it has deployed 2,000-pound bombs in southern Gaza which it designated safe. No one is spared. Not even newborns. UN chiefs have described it as a graveyard for children.”
Hassim then argued “Israel’s second genocidal act”.
“Israel’s infliction of serious bodily or mental harm to Palestinians in Gaza violates Article 2B of the Genocide Convention. Israel’s attacks have left close to 60,000 Palestinians wounded and maimed again, the majority of them women and children. This, in circumstances where the healthcare system has all but collapsed.
“Large numbers of Palestinian civilians, including children, are arrested, blindfolded, and forced to undress, loaded onto trucks and taken to unknown locations. The suffering of the Palestinian people, physical and mental, is undeniable, “Hassim said.
Presenting a map of the Gaza strip showing the restrictions imposed by Israel, Hassim said, the ICJ must hold Israel accountable for acts in Gaza.
“There is no indication that Israel accepts responsibility for rebuilding what it has destroyed. Instead, the destruction is celebrated by the Israeli army. Soldiers film themselves joyfully detonating entire apartment blocks and town squares, erecting the Israeli flag over the wreckage.”
Hassim said the court doesn’t need to come to a final view on genocide, but must find there has been breaches to some of the Genocide Convention.
“Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court,” Hassim concluded.
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola is leading South Africa’s delegation to The Hague.
In his opening address, Lamola said South Africa unequivocally condemned the taking of hostages by Hamas.
Lamola also said no armed attack on a state’s territory “even an attack involving atrocity crimes” can justify the violation of the Genocide Convention.
ALSO READ: WATCH: SA’s case against Israel ‘simple and straightforward’ – Ramaphosa
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