International Court of Justice genocide case: Israel says claims by South Africa are 'false and grossly distorted'
Lawyers representing Israel today began their response to the case put forward by South Africa, which yesterday claimed Israel's latest war in Gaza was aimed at the "destruction of the population".
Friday 12 January 2024 14:04, UK
Israel has today rejected allegations it has committed state-led genocide in Gaza, telling an international court the claims are false and "grossly distorted".
Lawyers representing the country today began their response to the genocide case, put forward by South Africa before the United Nations's International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
It came after South Africa outlined its arguments yesterday, arguing the latest war in Gaza was part of decades of Israeli oppression and was aimed at the "destruction of the population".
They asked judges presiding over the two-day hearing to impose emergency measures, ordering Israel to immediately halt the offensive.
Middle East crisis - latest: US and UK 'trying to turn Red Sea into sea of blood';
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, more than 23,000 Palestinians have so far been killed in the offensive, which Israel launched in response to the killing of approximately 1,200 Israelis in an attack by Hamas fighters on 7 October.
Around 240 people were also abducted from Israel, with around half of those hostages so far being returned.
On Friday, the Israeli foreign ministry's legal adviser, Tal Becker, called on judges to dismiss South Africa's request to
halt its offensive, saying to do so would leave it defenceless.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Read more from Sky News:
Explainer: Why is South Africa taking Israel to court?
Gaza residents tell of desperate need for food
He also described South Africa's interpretation of events as "grossly distorted".
"If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel," he said.
"Hamas seeks genocide against Israel. Israel is in a war of defence against Hamas, not against the Palestinian people,"
"The key component of genocide, the intent to destroy a people in whole or in part, is totally lacking."
Because of this, lawyers for Israel argued, the court did not have jurisdiction under the Genocide Convention to order it to halt its military actions in Gaza.
The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group".
The court is expected to rule on possible emergency measures later this month but will not rule at that time on the genocide allegations - proceedings which could take years
The ICJ's decisions are final and without appeal, but the court has no way to enforce them.