Ask ICJ To Stop Israel's Action In Gaza, South Africa: From The Beginning His Intention To Remove Palestine

South African Representative at ICJ. (Twitter/@CIJ_ICJ)

South Africa urged a top UN court on Thursday to order Israel to halt all activities of its aggression in the Gaza Strip, including attacks on the Rafah, to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people.

South African Ambassador to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela asked judges to order Israel to "live, in total and unconditional terms, withdraw Israeli troops from the entire Gaza Strip."

A two-day trial at the International Court (ICJ), also known as the World Court, is part of a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.

South African legal teams told courts Israel's military campaign had killed tens of thousands of children and women, destroyed civilian infrastructure and starving residents.

"From the start, Israel's intention was to destroy the lives of Palestinians and remove them from the face of the earth. Rafah is the last resort," said Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, one of the legal team.

"Israel must be stopped. South Africa is back in front of you today to respectfully ask the court to use its power to order a settlement that will stop Israel," said Adila Hassim, another lawyer for South Africa.

Last week South Africa called for additional emergency measures to protect Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians took refuge.

South Africa also called on courts to order Israel to allow unrestricted access to Gaza for UN officials, organizations providing humanitarian assistance, journalists, and investigators.

Separately, Israel's Foreign Ministry said on social media, "South African claims are morally and factually distorted" and the Israeli military obeys international law.

"Hamas terrorists use South Africa in their efforts to exploit the International Court (ICJ)," he said.

Israeli Operation Defense Forces against Hamas in Gaza "was carried out while implementing measures to minimize losses to civilians and civilian facilities, along with continued transfers of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip," the ministry said, asking the judge to reject South Africa's request.

Israel says it needs to eliminate Hamas for their own protection and in a previous filing to the ICJ, Israel emphasizes that it has stepped up efforts to incorporate humanitarian aid into Gaza as ordered by the court.

South African lawyer Max du Plessis said the humanitarian zone announced by Israel, the territory Israel ordered to avoid military operations, was a violent distortion because people were often too starving to escape. Those powerful enough to flee to shelter are sometimes attacked by Israeli forces.

"Nothing humane in this humanitarian zone," he said.

Israel itself will provide a response in court this Friday.

In January, the court ordered Israel to ensure its troops did not commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, allowing more humanitarian aid and storing evidence of violations.

It is known that at least 35,272 Palestinians were killed as a result of a seven-month Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip, health officials in the enclave said on Thursday.

The war broke out when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 253 others. Of these, 133 people are believed to be still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

This week's hearing will only focus on emergency measures and will likely take years before the court can decide on the allegations that underlie genocide.

The ICJ's decision and order are binding and cannot be appealed. Although the court has no way to enforce it, the order imposed on a country can damage the country's international reputation and become a legal precedent.