ICJ acknowledges SA’s urgent request to intervene in fears of impending famine in Gaza
In its application, government requested for provisional measures the UN court issued to be modified, arguing that Israel is again breaching the Genocide Convention by starving Palestinians.
The body of a Palestinian killed when residents rushed toward aid trucks in Gaza City on February 29, 2024. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Israeli forces shot dead dozens of people when a crowd rushed towards aid trucks. Israeli sources confirmed that troops opened fire at Palestinians, with one saying soldiers thought they "posed a threat", and that many died when they were run over by aid trucks. Picture: AFP
CAPE TOWN - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has acknowledged South Africa’s urgent request for it to intervene in what it fears is an impending famine in the occupied territory of Gaza.
Government on Wednesday approached the world’s top court for the second time since it issued provisional measures in January, asking for these to be modified.
ALSO READ:
- Pandor appeals to Parliamentarians to intensify calls for more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza
- Deaths at aid delivery site in Gaza draw condemnation
- Dead horses, scraps, leaves: Gaza's hungry get desperate
In its latest application, South Africa said new facts and the changing situation in Gaza compelled it to return.
The Gaza Health Ministry has revealed that at least 20 people have now died of malnutrition and dehydration as it raises the appeal for more aid to the area.
In an application filed with the ICJ on Wednesday, South Africa again said Israel is breaching the Genocide Convention - this time by starving Palestinians in Gaza.
It said since the court’s 26 January order, Israel continued to violate the provisional measures set out by the court in which it compelled the state to minimise harm to Palestinians during its military operations in the territory.
South Africa is now asking the court to either indicate further provisional measures or to modify the original ones.
In February, the court said it wasn’t necessary to amend these measures when South Africa raised concern over the Israeli’s military plans for the southern city of Rafah.
In this application, South Africa said it's making the request to ensure the safety and security of 2.3 million Palestinians, including over a million children, in Gaza.
It urged the court to consider its latest application without holding a hearing in light of the extreme urgency of the situation.