Israel condemned South Africa‘s continued efforts to involve the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in matters related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, accusing Pretoria of siding with Hamas.
The Israeli foreign ministry accused South Africa of acting as “the legal arm of Hamas” and attempting to undermine Israel’s right to self-defense. The ministry criticized South Africa’s repeated petitions to the ICJ for provisional measures, calling them cynical and baseless attempts to deny Israel’s right to defend itself.
In response, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation rejected Israel’s accusations, stating that South Africa was simply expressing its concerns through legal channels.
Clayson Monyela, a spokesperson for the department, emphasized that South Africa’s actions were not on behalf of Hamas and criticized Israel for repeatedly making such allegations.
South Africa initially approached the ICJ in January, seeking a declaration that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and calling for an end to Israel’s military campaign there. While the court did not issue such a declaration, it did order Israel to take measures to prevent acts of genocide.
Now, South Africa is urging the ICJ to take further action against Israel, citing humanitarian concerns in Gaza, including the risk of starvation, and calling for an end to hostilities and the release of hostages and detainees.
Israel reaffirmed its commitment to acting in accordance with international law and facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The Israeli foreign ministry called on the ICJ to reject South Africa’s latest request and reiterated Israel’s determination to continue its offensive until Hamas is eliminated and Israeli hostages are released.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted following a deadly attack by Hamas on southern Israel, resulting in casualties and the seizure of hostages. Israel has vowed to persist with its military campaign until Hamas is dismantled and Israeli hostages are freed.
