CAIRO (Agencies): Egypt has announced its intention to back South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case pertains to Israel’s bombing campaign and ground invasion in Gaza. The decision comes in response to the escalating Israeli aggression and the increasing attacks on civilians in the Palestinian enclave.
The conflict between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas has been ongoing for over eight months, initiated by a surprise raid by Hamas into Israeli territory that resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties. Hamas also took over 200 hostages, some of whom were later released through prisoner exchanges.
Local authorities report that the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 35,000 Palestinians. The hostilities have extended to Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, where individuals fleeing the northern part of the enclave have sought refuge.
Last week, Hamas agreed to a ceasefire proposal by Egypt and Qatar. The proposal called for an initial halt to the fighting, followed by long-term peace and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian territory. However, Israel rejected the proposal and vowed to continue its planned assault on Rafah, which is located on Egypt’s eastern border with Gaza. This decision was made despite opposition from the US and several other countries.
On Sunday, Cairo accused the IDF of directly targeting civilians, destroying infrastructure, and forcing Palestinians to flee their homes. Egypt has called on Israel to comply with its obligations as the occupying power and to implement the provisional measures issued by the ICJ. These measures require Israel to ensure adequate access to humanitarian and relief aid for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and prohibit Israeli forces from committing any violations against the Palestinian people.
In January, the ICJ issued an interim ruling ordering Israel to take steps to prevent genocide and improve humanitarian conditions for Gaza’s population. South Africa’s lawsuit accuses West Jerusalem of committing systematic war crimes in the Palestinian region.
In late March, Ireland also announced its support for Pretoria in the case filed last year, describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law on a mass scale.”