South Africa has taken a historic step by filing its memorial on the Gaza genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. This action marks a crucial step in the attempt to hold Israel accountable for its alleged acts contrary to the Genocide Convention.
South Africa’s 750-page memorial contains overwhelming evidence and denunciations of human rights violations in Gaza. The purpose of this filing is to end a humanitarian catastrophe that has lasted for far too long.
South Africa’s accusations are intended to demonstrate that Israel has knowingly created conditions that are aimed at the physical destruction of the people of Gaza. The filing of this memorial is a call for international action to end this suffering.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has stressed that this move before the International Court of Justice is part of a logic of international solidarity similar to that which helped South Africa emerge from apartheid. This contrasts with the impunity that Israel currently enjoys in the region.
In addition to South Africa, ten other countries have joined these proceedings, including Palestine, Turkey, Mexico and Spain. This international support shows the scale and gravity of the situation in Gaza, which requires urgent action.
This case before the International Court of Justice is therefore likely to last several years, but it represents an important first step towards justice and the recognition of the fundamental rights of the inhabitants of Gaza. In the meantime, the world will closely monitor the developments in this case and hope for significant progress in the protection of civilian populations in the region.