South Africa Takes Israel to ICJ over ‘Genocidal’ Actions in Gaza: Netanyahu Defends ‘Defensive War

• South Africa has filed a case against Israel.
• Israel initiates an unrelenting military campaign.
• The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reports over 21,800 deaths.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied South Africa’s accusation that Israel was carrying out “genocidal” crimes in the Palestinian territory and claimed that Israel has shown unmatched “morality” in the Gaza conflict.

“We will continue our defensive war, the justice and morality of which is without peer,” Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv.

His remarks followed the filing of a case by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, alleging that the latter was engaging in “genocidal” activities in Gaza.

“No, South Africa, it is not we who have come to perpetrate genocide; it is Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

“It would murder all of us if it could. In contrast, the IDF (Israeli army) is acting as morally as possible.”

Following the unprecedented attack on southern Israel by Palestinian terrorists on October 7, Israel began an unrelenting military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

An AFP count based on Israeli data indicates that 1,140 people were killed in the jihadist attack, the most of them civilians.

The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reports that over 21,800 individuals have died as a result of Israel’s continuing offensive in Gaza, the majority of them were women and children.

Also Read

Shots fired: Israeli military incident raises concerns in Gaza aid delivery

The Israeli military reportedly shot at an aid truck in the Gaza...