Israel on Trial at the International Criminal Court

The International Court of Justice in the Hague on Thursday morning began deliberations Thursday on the lawsuit by South Africa against Israel on charges of “genocide” over the course of the war in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice in the Hague on Thursday morning began deliberations Thursday on the lawsuit by South Africa against Israel on charges of “genocide” over the course of the war in Gaza.

A hearing of this sort has never been held regarding Israel in the Hague, and there have been no similar cases brought in the past.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague, the highest legal body of the United Nations, hears disputes between states. The court is made up of 15 judges from different states, and includes representatives from the following countries: the United States of America, France, Japan, Germany, Australia, Slovakia, Brazil, Jamaica, India, Uganda, China, Somalia, Russia, Lebanon, and Morocco.

Israel has named its former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak as its representative to the International Court of Justice panel. Barak, a child Holocaust survivor, is well-respected internationally but is viewed negatively in much of Israel’s right as he is the mastermind of Israel’s Supreme Court power grab over three decades.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a harsh reaction to the three-hour deliberation at the International Court of Justice in the Hague on Thursday morning on the petition by South Africa against Israel on charges of “genocide” during the war in Gaza.

“South Africa, which is functioning as the legal arm of the Hamas terrorist organization, utterly distorted the reality in Gaza following the October 7 massacre and completely ignored the fact that Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel, murdered, executed, massacred, raped and abducted Israeli citizens, simply because they were Israelis, in an attempt to carry out genocide.”

“South Africa seeks to allow Hamas to return to commit the war crimes, crimes against humanity, and sexual crimes they committed repeatedly on October 7, as its leaders have stated.”

“Hamas’ representatives in the Court, the South African lawyers, are also ignoring the fact that Hamas uses the civilian population in Gaza as human shields and operates from within hospitals, schools, UN shelters, mosques, and churches with the intention of endangering the lives of the residents of the Gaza Strip.”

“136 hostages are being held in Hamas captivity, denied access to Red Cross representatives and medical care.”

“The State of Israel will continue to protect its citizens in accordance with international law while distinguishing between Hamas terrorists and the civilian population, and will do anything in its power to release all hostages and eliminate the Hamas terrorist organization, a racist and antisemitic terrorist organization that calls in its Convention for the destruction of the State of Israel and the murder of Jews.”