Israel Denies Performing Genocide In Gaza, Pretext To Protect Its People

JAKARTA - Israel argues that the use of the term "genocide" against Israel "avoids" the purpose of the Genocide Convention and claims in their verbal arguments at the International Court (ICJ) in The Hague, they are only trying to protect their own people.

"The key components of genocide, namely the intention to destroy people, overall or partially, are completely non-existent," the Israeli delegation argued in the ICJ as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, January 1.

"What Israel is looking for by operating in Gaza is not to destroy society, but to protect... its people who are attacked from various sides, and do so according to the law, even when they face enemies who don't."

Israel also stressed that the 1948 Genocide Convention "was not designed to address the brutal impact of intense hostility towards civilians."

Israel added "Even when the use of force raises a'very serious international law issue, and involves enormous suffering and continued loss of life".

"Efforts to use the term genocide against Israel, in its current context, eliminate the object and purpose of the convention itself," they claimed.

All of the genocide cases that South Africa brought to court on Thursday (11/1), "depending on the decontextualized and manipulative descriptions deliberately made regarding the reality of today's hostilities," Israel argued.

South Africa 'enjoys close relations' with Hamas

The Israeli delegation accused South Africa - a country that filed a genocide case against Israel - of having close ties to the Palestinian group Hamas not only before but also after a cross-border Hamas attack on October 7, which killed more than a thousand Israelis.

"It is a public record that South Africa has close ties to Hamas, although they are formally recognized as terrorist organizations by many countries in the world," he said.

"This relationship continues even after the atrocities that occurred on October 7. South Africa has long been the host and celebrated its relationship with Hamas figures, including senior Hamas delegations who visited the country for a 'holder meeting' just weeks after the massacre."

They also accused South Africa, when delivering its case on Thursday, saying: "It is as if no intensive armed conflict has occurred between the two sides. There is no major threat to Israel and its citizens. Only Israeli attacks on Gaza."

The delegation also denied the number of people killed in Gaza who were brought to court in South Africa's verbal arguments, voiced distrust of the figure of more than 23,000 people, and called Palestinian sources "difficult to rely."

Israel's defense of the case is the public's most prominent attempt to date to try to justify Israel's violent attacks and blockades in the Gaza Strip, which has sparked widespread international outrage.