Meanwhile,
"Both South Africa and Israel are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention
"In its submission, South Africa cited Israel’s “failure to provide or ensure essential food, water, medicine, fuel, shelter and other humanitarian assistance for the besieged and blockaded Palestinian people”, its “sustained bombardment over more than 11 weeks of one of the most densely populated places in the world” as well as the high number of children killed as factors that have created “conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction as a group”.
“Israel has a genocidal intent against the Palestinians in Gaza. That is evident from the way in which Israel’s military attack is being conducted,” Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, a member of South Africa’s legal team, told the court on Thursday.
“As we stand today, 1 per cent of the Palestinian population in Gaza has been systematically decimated. And one in four Gazans have been injured since October 7. These two elements alone are capable of evidencing Israel’s genocidal intent in relation to the whole or part of the Palestinian population in Gaza.”
FT.com
"One of the crucial elements in the case will be the question of intent. In its submission, South Africa lists numerous statements by senior Israeli officials, saying that “when combined with the level of killing, maiming, displacement and destruction on the ground, together with the siege — [they] evidence an unfolding and continuing genocide”.
Among them was a quote from Netanyahu referring to the biblical story of the total destruction of Amalek by the Israelites; a suggestion by another minister that a nuclear strike on Gaza was an option; and the contention by various officials that there was no distinction between militants and civilians in Gaza."
"Israel’s legal team is due to set out its case on Friday."