Israel Accused of a “pattern of genocidal conduct” Against the People of #Gaza

People in Orkney will again gather on the steps of St Magnus Cathedral between 1 and 2pm on Saturday 13th of January calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The International Court of Justice has been hearing the case brought by the Republic of South Africa against the state of Israel of committing genocide on the people…

theorkneynews

January 13, 2024

3–4 minutes

ceasefire, Gaza, genocide, International Court of Justice, Israel, News, United Nations, vigil

protestors with peace banners and Palestinian flags on the steps of St Magnus Cathedral

The South African legal team has told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague that Israel had demonstrated a “pattern of genocidal conduct” since launching its full-scale war in Gaza, the 365 square kilometre strip of land it has occupied since 1967.

“This killing is nothing short of destruction of Palestinian life. It is inflicted deliberately, no-one is spared, not even newborn babies,” the court heard.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. On 29th of December 2023 The Republic of South Africa instituted proceedings against the State of Israel.

Adila Hassim, of the South African Legal team said that Israel’s actions had subjected the 2.3 million people of Gaza to an unprecedented level of attacks from the air, land and sea, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the destruction of homes and essential public infrastructure.

Israel had also prevented sufficient humanitarian aid from reaching those in need and created the risk of death by starvation and disease because of the impossibility of providing assistance “while bombs fall”.

“Palestinians in Gaza are subject to relentless bombing wherever they go,” Ms. Hassim told the court, adding that so many people had been killed that they were often buried unidentified in mass graves. An additional 60,000 Palestinians had been wounded and maimed, she noted.

“They are killed in their homes, in places where they seek shelter, in hospitals, in schools, in mosques, in churches, and as they tried to find food and water for their families. They have been killed if they have failed to evacuate the places to which they have fled and even if they attempted to flee along Israeli-declared safe routes.”

As part of its claim against Israel, South Africa alleges that 6,000 bombs hit Gaza in the first week of the Israeli response to the Hamas-led attacks. This included the use of 2,000-pound bombs at least 200 times “in southern areas of the Strip that were designated as safe”, and in the north, where refugee camps were located.

These weapons were “some of the biggest and most destructive bombs available”, she maintained, adding that genocides “are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies a plausible claim of genocidal acts”.

South Africa presented its case on Thursday, 11th and Israel on 12th.

At least 23,357 Palestinians have been killed, and 59,410 injured, since the start of the conflict on 7 October, according to the Gaza authorities.

The hostilities were sparked by deadly Hamas attacks on southern Israel in which over 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 hostages seized, with roughly 136 still being held in captivity in Gaza.

Since the start of the ground operation, 184 Israeli soldiers have been killed, and 1,076 others injured according to the Israeli military.

Overall, 1.9 million in Gaza, or nearly 85 per cent of the population, have been displaced, with many families uprooted multiple times as they repeatedly move in search of safety.

More than 1.7 million people are now sheltering in facilities belonging to the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA.

The Orkney News has a series of films of the vigils in Orkney by Mike Robertson on our YouTube Channel.

Fiona Grahame

3 responses to “Israel Accused of a “pattern of genocidal conduct” Against the People of #Gaza”

Tom Sharp

January 13, 2024 at 9:33 am

I hope you are going to carry a banner demanding that Hamas release the innocent victims, women and children, they abducted on 7th October. If Hamas cared one jot about the Palestinian people this would have a baring on IMF future actions.

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1. S Davidson
  
  January 13, 2024 at 4:34 pm
  
  Mr Sharp, perhaps you want to remind yourself of the context as it was stated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations: ‘It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum’ (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2023-10-24/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-the-middle-east%C2%A0).
  
  Nobody disputes that the atrocities of October 7th are unacceptable and that the hostages have to be released.
  Still, the “response” to these atrocious acts is equally unacceptable and is causing death and destruction to civilians at a scale that not only South Africa sees as a case that should urgently be investigated from a perspective of international law.
  
  If any political solution for the future is to be found, an immediate ceasefire is a precondition. The conflict is already spilling over in the region and things might get even worse if more actors are being drawn into it.
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berniebell1955

January 14, 2024 at 10:42 am

This will be in m’blog on Monday…..it’s self-explanatory……….

“Humanity…
Sunday morning, the way the world is and the ways of humanity were getting to me. I’d read a piece by Howard Jay Smith comparing the events in the Ukraine now, to those in Eastern Europe under the Nazis.…
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009914652603
I went into thoughts which were/are disturbing – understandable that that would happen – but no less disturbing for that.
Mike and I talked it through – I won’t write about it, as many folk are writing about the world today, the conflicts in the world and how humanity appears to have really lost the plot – though – it’s been happening for thousands of years – hard times, better times – different/similar weapons – different/similar ways of hurting.
As I have done before, I tried to get a grip on the idea that….. for every hurt there are a thousand kindnesses, in the life of an individual and in the life of the world.
I then went to my computer to find the weekly message from Matthew Manning, as follows….
‘There are times when it feels like the world around us is filled with negativity. But we must remember that kindness and generosity are powerful tools to make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Taking a moment to give a kind word or a helping hand can inspire others to do the same.
Show appreciation, offer support and spread goodwill in any way you can. Let your kindness light up your corner of the world.
It’s by pooling together small acts of love that we can make a big impact in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead … Matthew’

That man is a marvel – he’s been through his own hard times – knows how the world is/can be – yet he can present such positivity to others whose minds are troubled by life.”

Fortunately there are more S. Davidsons in the world than there are T. Sharps. I’ve resisted responding to what he says, as it’s usually best to leave folk like that to stew in their own bile (hoping that they might seek help for their malaise) – but – please, S Davidson don’t take what those people spout, to heart. I intend to never refer to him again.

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