South Africa has accused Israel of the massacres in the Gaza Strip and filed a complaint with the ICJ

South Africa has filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians after nearly three months of brutal Israeli bombardment in the besieged region killed more than 21,500 people.

In a petition filed with the court on Friday, South Africa described Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip as "genocidal in nature as they aim to destroy a significant part of the national, racial and ethnic groups of Palestine." "These measures include killing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, causing them serious physical and mental harm, and creating living conditions that lead to their physical destruction," the statement said.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is a UN civil court that settles disputes between countries. It differs from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes people for war crimes.

As members of the United Nations, South Africa, and Israel are bound by the court. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa compared Israel's policies towards Gaza and the West Bank to the apartheid policies implemented by his country's white minority government that ended in 1994.

Some human rights groups have argued that Israel's policies toward the Palestinians amount to apartheid. global condemnation

South Africa said Israel's actions, particularly since the start of the October 7 war, violated the UN Genocide Convention and called for a speedy hearing. The petition also asked the court to take interim measures to "protect the rights of the Palestinian people from further, grave and irreparable harm" under the treaty. "South Africa is very concerned about the current attacks in the current attacks of Israel, of random use and obliged to eliminate the population, which is due to the forced removal of the population," International relations and monopacia of South Africa "(DIRCO):" adding the country, this said that the country has attacked all violence and all citizens, including all citizens, including Israel.

"South Africa has always called an urgent and stable stop - restarting stories that restart the fires and stories and put an end to the usual Palestine meals," the statement said.

Israel did not accept flight throughout the world, which refused to fight, which stopped the Hamas group, which caused the current stage of the Khamas group. About 1,200 people have been killed in Hamas attacks in Israel. Palestinian groups said their attacks targeted Israel's 16-year siege of Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Settlement expansion is the biggest obstacle to the realization of a future Palestinian state consisting of the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

Tens of thousands of newly displaced Palestinians were forced to flee south on Friday as Israel expanded its ground and air offensive into the heart of the enclave, in the latest development in its war in the Gaza Strip. Israel has been criticized globally for the casualties and destruction and has been accused of collectively punishing the Palestinians.

"A very important step"

The trial is the latest step by South Africa, a fierce critic of Israel's war, to step up pressure after lawmakers decided last month to close Israel's embassy in Pretoria and freeze all diplomatic ties until the ceasefire ends. Reporting from UN headquarters in New York, Voice of Urdu's Gabriel Elizondo said the move was "a very important step in holding Israel accountable."

"Now that South Africa has referred this matter to the International Court of Justice, it will be on the agenda of the United Nations to decide on this very important issue," he added.

On November 16, 36 United Nations experts called on the international community to "prevent genocide against the Palestinian people," calling Israel's actions on October 7 "genocide in progress." “We are deeply concerned that the government will not heed our appeals and immediately reach a ceasefire. "We are deeply concerned about the support given by some governments to Israel's war strategy against the people of the besieged Gaza Strip and the inability of the international system to mobilize to prevent the genocide," the experts said in a statement. Israel denies South Africa's allegations

Israel dismissed South Africa's move as "baseless" and called it a "blood libel".

Israeli Foreign Minister Lior Hayat told the Channel

Israel has made it clear that the people of Gaza are not its enemies and that it is doing everything possible to limit casualties and allow humanitarian aid to enter the Strip. "This move brings public opinion closer to the reality of what is happening in Palestine and Gaza, as well as the West Bank," said Voice of Urdu senior political analyst Marwan Bishara.

According to Article 2 of the Genocide Convention, genocide is an act committed "with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, national, racial or religious group".

"There is a disagreement about intent," Bishara said. "Three high-ranking Israeli officials, starting with Israeli President Herzog, who said 'there are no innocent people' in the Gaza Strip and the Defense Minister, have announced their intention to impose collective punishment on the population of Gaza for 'human animals.' Sharra said Netanyahu also used a biblical metaphor in a statement widely interpreted as a call for genocide.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed South Africa's decision and urged the International Court of Justice to take immediate action to "prevent further harm to the Palestinian people". "Israel's stated policies, actions, and inactions are genocidal in nature and were carried out with the clear intent to destroy the Palestinian people under the colonial and apartheid regimes," the Israeli Ministry of Defense said. Name. . .

"The State of Palestine urges the international community and the treaty parties to fulfill their obligations and support the Court in its judicial process."