---
title: "South Africa's genocide case against Israel - what both sides argued before the ICJ"
description: "In January, the world watched as South Africa took Israel to the World Court, alleging that the latter was committing genocide against the people of Palestine."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "ICJ CASE RECAP"
author: "Daily Maverick"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/dailymaverick/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-01-26-south-africa-genocide-case-against-israel-what-both-sides-argued-before-the-icj/"
published: "2024-01-26T09:31:27"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 185
---

# South Africa's genocide case against Israel - what both sides argued before the ICJ

> In January, the world watched as South Africa took Israel to the World Court, alleging that the latter was committing genocide against the people of Palestine.

By Daily Maverick · Published 26 January 2024, 11:31 SAST

## Content

A legal team from South Africa argued before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 11 January that Israel is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by trying to destroy part of the Palestinian population through its military assault on Gaza.

For South Africa, Advocate Adila Hassim argued that Israel's actions amounted to a “pattern of genocidal conduct. At least some (of this conduct), if not all, falls within the Genocide Convention’s provisions”.

**Ferial Haffajee** unpacked South Africa's argument before the court here:

[**Top SA legal team argues genocidal intent by Israel showing how life is being squeezed from Gaza**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-01-11-top-sa-legal-team-argues-genocidal-intent-by-israel-showing-how-life-being-squeezed-from-gaza/)

**Peter Fabricius** wrote that only an urgent order from the court would force Israel to immediately stop its military assault on Gaza:

**[‘Nothing will stop this suffering, except an order from this court’ — SA sets out the evidence against Israel](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-01-12-nothing-will-stop-this-suffering-except-an-order-from-this-court-sa-sets-out-the-evidence-against-israel/)**

The next day, on 12 January, Israel's legal team responded, arguing that South Africa empties the word ‘genocide’ of its unique force and meaning:

[**Israel asks the ICJ to throw out SA’s ‘curated and inaccurate’ genocide case**](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-01-12-israel-asks-the-icj-to-throw-out-sas-curated-and-inaccurate-genocide-case/)

**Watch a video summary of the arguments:**

\[embed\]https://youtu.be/HVV8adzzcH8?si=MG-jgSf2CZhMmj-S\[/embed\]