The International Court of Justice must rule on a complaint filed by South Africa relating to Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
The legal battle begins in The Hague, Netherlands.
This Thursday, the International Court of Justice opened its preliminary hearings on the Israeli case. South Africa accuses the Jewish state of having a “genocidal intent” in the war it is waging in the Gaza Strip.
In an 84-page document addressed to the court, Pretoria asks the judges to urgently order Israel to “immediately suspend military operations“. This initiative is supported by Tehran.
For its part, Israel describes the South African remarks as “absurd blood libel“.
Before the start of the hearing, supporters of the Jewish state gathered, including photos of the hostages kidnapped during the bloody Hamas attack on October 7.
Pro-Palestinians also came together to support the South African request.
More than 23,000 people have died in the Palestinian enclave in three months of war. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, says two-thirds of the victims are women and children.