South Africa re-approaches ICJ as Israel massacres Palestinians in Rafah
Source: https://www.ummid.com/
The Hague: South Africa Tuesday February 13, 2024 once again approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the Israeli Occupied Forces massacred over 100 Palestinians in Rafah and declared to continue its barbarism in the besieged territory.
In an urgent petition, South Africa urged the ICJ to review the ramifications of Israel's expansion of military activities in Rafah, questioning whether the court ought to intervene to safeguard the rights of Palestinians in Gaza from further violation.
"Rafah, which is the last refuge for surviving people in Gaza, requires that the court uses its power to prevent further imminent breach of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza", South Africa's Presidency said on Tuesday.
"South Africa is gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah, as announced by the State of Israel, has already led to and will result in further large scale killing, harm and destruction", the Presidency said.
This is the second time in three months when South Africa has approached the UN Court against the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and other occupied territories.
In a petition filed at the ICJ on December 29, 2023, South Africa had accused of violating the provisions of Genocide Convention and sought the World Court's intervention.
Acting on the South Africa's petition against Israel, the ICJ in a historic ruling on January 26, 2024 announced provisional measures mandating Israel to use all the power in its hand to prevent genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza.
The ICJ also asked Israel to allow unhindered aid into Gaza and submit in a month the action taken report about the implementation of its order.
The Israeli Occupation Forces have continued their carnage against the Palestinians despite the ICJ ruling. They are now bombing Rafah - the territory in the besieged strip. Where more than half the population of Gaza has moved after Israel started bombing on Gaza on Oct 7, 2023.
Ironically, the Israel forces had declared Rafah a safe zone and urged the Palestinians to move there.
The Israeli forces have killed more than 100 Palestinians since yesterday in Rafah and have announced a ground invasion of the area.
South Africa in its latest petition at the ICJ said:
"It (ground invasion of Rafah) would be in serious and irreparable breach both of the Genocide Convention and of the Court's Order of 26 January 2024."
Wanting to know if additional emergency measures are required to protect the Palestinians in Rafah, South Africa cited the ICJ rules that say the court can decide, when it so chooses, "whether the circumstances of the case require the indication of provisional measures which ought to be taken or complied with by any or all of the parties."