(Bloomberg) -- South Africa is preparing to file a case in a United Nations tribunal alleging that Israel is committing the crime of genocide against Palestinians.
The authorities will submit a document providing “facts and evidence” to the International Court of Justice next month, the South African Presidency said in a statement on Tuesday.
About 41,000 Palestinians have died in almost a year of fighting in the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory. The Iran-backed group’s fighters killed about 1,200 people and abducted 250 during its Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel that triggered the conflict.
Pretoria has been weighing its options after Israel ignored an ICJ directive that it must act to prevent Palestinian civilians from being killed or injured, including a possible approach to the UN Security Council to enforce the court’s ruling. Israel has denied it is committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel is lobbying members of the US Congress to push South Africa to drop its legal proceedings at the ICJ, Axios reported on Monday, citing an Israeli foreign ministry cable.
“Thus far, there has been no request by any government to drop the case that the South African government has brought before the ICJ,” the Presidency said. “This case will continue until the court makes a finding.”
The legal action represents a growing global effort toward ensuring peace in the Middle East, the presidency said. Countries including Turkey, Spain, Mexico and Colombia have joined the lawsuit.
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