Israel has refuted South Africa's allegations of genocide in Gaza, describing the portrayal of hostilities as "profoundly distorted" and comparable to Hamas' perspective. Israel, presenting its defense at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, countered that South Africa's depiction was "partial and deeply flawed."
Israel attributed the majority of Palestinian civilian casualties, numbering over 23,000 individuals (about 1% of Gaza's population) since October 7, and the destruction of numerous buildings—cited by South Africa—to be the responsibility of Hamas, either directly or indirectly.
Lawyers for Israel said civilians had been killed by Hamas booby-trapping homes, mining alleyways and misfiring rockets, and that the militant group’s use of schools and hospitals for military purposes had caused their structures to collapse.
In his opening statement, Tal Becker, the Israeli foreign ministry’s legal adviser, said: “The applicant has regrettably put before the court a profoundly distorted factual and legal picture. The entirety of this case hinges on a deliberately curated decontextualised and manipulative description of the reality of current hostilities.”
He said South Africa’s application for the court to issue provisional measures ordering a ceasefire represented an “unconscionable request” that “seeks to thwart Israel’s inherent right to defend itself”.
Namibia criticises Germany's rejection of the UN case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Germany has offered support for Israel in a lawsuit brought by South Africa, prompting Namibian President Hage Geingob to call for a reconsideration of Germany's involvement.