ICJ to hear oral arguments in SA's application for additional measures in Gaza conflict

CAPE TOWN - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hear oral arguments from South Africa and Israel later this week following government’s latest application for urgent, additional measures to address the conflict in Rafah. 
 
South Africa will be expected to present its arguments in The Hague on Thursday afternoon, to be followed by Israel on Friday morning. 
 
Government approached the world’s highest court for the third time last week, asking for intervention in Israel's ongoing military incursion in the southern Gaza city.
 
More than a million Palestinians have been seeking refuge from the war.

On Friday, South Africa filed its third application seeking additional measures to be pronounced against Israel since the court ordered provisional measures against the state in January. 
 
The applications form part of government’s main genocide case, which is still pending. 
 
The seven-month-long attacks on Gaza come in retaliation for the killing of over 1,000 people in Israel by Palestinian militant group, Hamas, last October.
 
While the ICJ ordered provisional measures against Israel in March, South Africa wants the court to consider modifying these and to impose additional interventions, arguing that this was necessitated by a change of circumstances. 
 
South Africa says the Israeli assault on Rafah is posing an extreme risk to humanitarian supplies and basic services in Gaza and consequently the survival of Palestinians. 
 
This application for additional measures is the first for which there will be public hearings. 
 
South Africa’s first and second applications in February and March were decided on written submissions only.