Israel Formally Accused of Genocide at International Court of Justice

South Africa on Thursday accused Israel of having breached the U.N. Genocide Convention with its brutal response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, claiming that the terror attacks did not justify the retaliation.

Pretoria’s Justice Minister Ronald Lamola made the allegation during the opening remarks on the first day of Israel’s trial at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands. “No armed attack on a state territory no matter how serious... can provide any justification for or defense to breaches of the convention,” Lamola said.

South Africa is seeking an emergency order from the court for Israel to immediately stop its campaign in Gaza. According to the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 23,000 Palestinians have already died in the region. Israel, which denies allegations of genocide, has vowed to destroy Hamas after 1,200 people were killed in Israel in October, with around 250 others abducted (almost half of whom have since been released).

Read more at The Daily Beast.