South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza before the United Nations International Court of Justice, urging the court to end Israel’s military campaign in the region. The Israel Foreign Ministry responded on X: “South Africa’s claim lacks both a factual and a legal basis, and constitutes despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the Court.” The death toll in Gaza has risen to over 20,000, the health ministry has said. Israel dismissed South Africa’s claim that accused it of working to “destroy Palestinians in Gaza,” and said South Africa has worked with “a terrorist organization that is calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.” South Africa has been deeply critical of Israel’s attacks on Gaza, with President Cyril Ramaphosa comparing the treatment of Palestinians to the system of apartheid that once gripped South Africa.
