The response from Israel’s lawyers comes after South Africa, in its submission, asked the ICJ to issue an order forcing Israel to stop its bombing of Gaza.

South Africa’s legal team argued yesterday, during the first of two days of hearings, that Israel’s conduct contravenes the Genocide Convention, which defines that act as any action committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

In their presentation, the South African lawyers explained that the argument of self-defense (retaliation to the attack launched by Hamas on October 7th) used by the State of Israel to justify its bombings on the Gaza Strip has no basis under international law.

Israel, they recalled, has retained control over Gaza, access by land, sea and air and key government functions, regarding water and electricity, which is why Israeli troops operate in a territory under its control (the Gaza Strip). Their actions, they emphasized, are reinforcing their occupation status.

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