"We are headstrong": South Africa to present new evidence in genocide case against Israel
Shafaq News/ South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that his country will present more evidence in October in the genocide case it has filed against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
On October 7, Israel launched a major offensive against Gaza in response to a Hamas operation, which followed intensified Israeli actions against Palestinians. Since then, at least 41,118 people have been killed in Gaza, including over 16,500 children, and more than 95,125 have been injured, with 10,000 missing, according to Al-Jazeera's tracker.
The African president affirmed that his country is determined to pursue the case, which was filed last December, accusing Israel of violating the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
"We are headstrong," Ramaphosa told reporters when asked about the case. "We are determined to go ahead with our case."
South Africa is scheduled to submit a statement of facts and evidence to the UN court next month to support its case. "Preparations are underway to present what they call the memorial, a huge tome of hundreds and hundreds of pages," the president said.
"We continue arguing that the genocide must stop and there must be a cease-fire, and similarly, there must be a return of the hostages."
Several countries, including Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Spain, and Turkiye, have joined South Africa in the lawsuit.
Recent reports suggested that Israeli diplomats are being directed to lobby US Congress members to pressure South Africa into withdrawing the genocide case.
