20 hours ago
South African official: "Israel" defies Intel courts as Gaza crisis deepens
The Hague – Saba:
South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands Vusi Madonsela on Tuesday condemned Israel's continued actions that reinforce occupation and amount to genocide in the Gaza Strip, despite advisory opinions and provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) compelling Tel Aviv to abide by international laws designed to protect human rights.
In a press interview, Madonsela stated that the situation in Gaza has significantly worsened since South Africa filed its genocide case against 'Israel" at the ICJ.
He noted that "Israel" has shown no willingness to comply with the Court's provisional measures, according to the official Palestinian news agency.
'We believe South Africa's decision to approach the International Court of Justice was the right one. The situation at the time was grave, but it has since deteriorated even further. This reinforces the justification for seeking immediate provisional measures in the first place,' he said.
The ambassador emphasized that "Israel" has disregarded the ICJ's advisory opinion calling for its full withdrawal from the occupied territories within one year. 'We see no indication that Israel is preparing to comply,' he added.
Madonsela also criticized "Israel" for turning humanitarian aid distribution into a 'deadly trap,' in clear defiance of the Court's measures. 'The mechanisms Israel has adopted for aid distribution are wholly inconsistent with the provisional measures declared by the Court last year,' he said.
Commenting on Israel's proposal to turn Rafah, in southern Gaza, into a so-called 'humanitarian city' where displaced Palestinians are forced to remain, Madonsela said: 'What is being labeled as a humanitarian camp is, in our view, nothing more than a detention facility. It starkly contradicts the advisory opinion opposing the occupation.'
Since October 7, 2023, with U.S. and European backing, Israeli forces have continued committing acts of genocide in Gaza. As of today, these attacks have killed 58,479 Palestinian civilians, the majority of them children and women, and left 139,355 others wounded, according to non-final figures. Thousands more remain trapped under the rubble or in areas unreachable by rescue teams.
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