On Monday, South Africa submitted new evidence to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), documenting alleged acts of genocide committed by the Zionist entity in Gaza.
“Today, October 28, 2024, South Africa submitted its memorial [a dossier of evidence in legal terms] to the International Court of Justice in its case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Gaza,” announced the South African presidency in a statement published on its website Monday evening.
This memorial represents a significant step in South Africa’s ongoing legal effort to hold the Zionist entity accountable under international law.
“The submission of this memorial comes at a time when [the Zionist entity] intensifies its mass killings of civilians in Gaza and now appears determined to follow a path of destruction similar to that seen in Lebanon,” the South African presidency noted in its statement.
The memorial, which lays out South Africa’s main arguments against the Zionist entity, presents evidence alleging that it violated the Genocide Convention by encouraging the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza, blocking humanitarian aid, creating life-threatening conditions, defying the ICJ’s provisional measures, and using starvation as a tactic to depopulate Gaza through mass casualties and forced displacement.
The document includes more than 750 pages of text and 4,000 pages of supporting documents and annexes, chronicling the systematic targeting of Palestinians in Gaza by the Zionist entity.
“The evidence will demonstrate that [the Zionist entity’s] genocidal acts are driven by a specific intent to commit genocide, as well as its failure to prevent incitement to genocide, prevent genocide itself, and punish those who incite and commit genocidal acts,” argued the South African government.
“South Africa’s memorial serves as a reminder to the international community to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and end this ongoing catastrophe. The devastation and suffering have only been possible because, despite the actions and interventions of the ICJ and numerous UN bodies, [the Zionist entity] has disregarded its international obligations,” Pretoria stated.
Last week, the world commemorated the signing of the United Nations Charter 79 years ago, marking the UN’s creation to shield future generations from the scourge of war.
“To fulfill this aspiration, all nations must insist on upholding the UN Charter and international law. South Africa’s action, joined by other states, is fundamentally aimed at ending the genocide in Palestine peacefully by holding [the Zionist entity] accountable within the institutions established for this purpose by the United Nations.”
The Zionist entity “enjoys an unprecedented level of impunity in violating international laws and standards since the establishment of the UN Charter. Its continued breach of international law endangers the global governance institutions established to hold all states accountable,” the South African presidency added.
