International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings taking place at the Peace Palace on 7 March 2022 in The Hague, The Netherlands. Israel is expected to state its case in response to SA’s charge.
Frank van Beek/ICJ via Getty Images
On 11 and 12 January, South Africa is due to stand before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as an accuser. There is sufficient reason to believe that Israel is engaging in genocide in Gaza, it will tell the World Court, and that immediate intervention is required.
Israel, which has been reluctant to appear in such proceedings, has promised to vigorously defend itself against what it calls “blood libel”.
What, exactly, its legal strategy will be, we do not know, but the approaches it has taken in the past give some broad clues. Israel is likely to challenge South Africa’s standing to bring the challenge, and the court’s competence to hear it.
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