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
Peter Fabricius wrote that only an urgent order from the court would force Israel to immediately stop its military assault on Gaza:
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
Watch a video summary of the arguments:
[embed]https://youtu.be/HVV8adzzcH8?si=MG-jgSf2CZhMmj-S[/embed]

Tal Becker (L), Legal Counselor of Israel's Foreign Ministry, and lawyer Malcolm Shaw (R), at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), prior to the hearing of the genocide case against Israel, brought by South Africa, in The Hauge, The Netherlands, 11 January 2024. According to the South Africans, Israel is currently committing genocidal acts against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed since the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on 07 October, and the Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave which followed it. EPA-EFE/REMKO DE WAAL