(Bloomberg) -- South Africa filed a dossier with the International Court of Justice Monday containing what it said were “facts and evidence” to substantiate its case that Israel was committing a crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The 750-page file contains documents supporting South Africa’s accusation that “Israel has violated the genocide convention by promoting the destruction of Palestinians living in Gaza, physically killing them with an assortment of destructive weapons,” the Presidency said in a statement.
Evidence provided also seeks to show that Palestinians have been deprived of access to humanitarian assistance, South Africa says, adding that Israel has defied several provisional measures of the ICJ. While Israel is legally obliged to comply with the court’s rulings, the ICJ has no mechanism to enforce its orders.
Israel has denied targeting civilians and has repeatedly affirmed its right to self-defense.
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.
Fighting has been raging in Gaza since Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. Israel has responded with a ground and air assault, which has claimed almost 43,000 lives, according to officials in the Hamas-run territory. The tally doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.
South Africa first filed a genocide case against Israel in the ICJ in late December. The tribunal on July 29 ordered Israel to take action to prevent Palestinians from being killed or injured, but stopped short of demanding an immediate cease-fire.
The legal action has drawn backing from Turkey, Spain, Mexico and Colombia.
(Updates with background in paragraph five)
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