South Africa urges ICJ to adopt additional measures against Isreal over strikes on Rafah

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa | Xinhua | South Africa’s Presidency said Saturday that the country has on Friday approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to seek an urgent order from the court for the protection of the Palestinian people in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing military assault on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.

South Africa has requested the ICJ to adopt additional provisional measures against Isreal, including ordering Isreal to immediately withdraw and cease its military actions in Rafah, and take measures to facilitate the access of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the Presidency said in a statement.

South Africa also asks Israel to submit an open report to the ICJ on all measures it has taken to give effect to all previous provisional measures indicated by the ICJ, according to the statement.

“The urgent application follows the escalation of Israel’s assault on Rafah, which poses extreme risk to humanitarian supplies and basic services into Gaza, the survival of the Palestinian medical system, and the very survival of Palestinians in Gaza as a group,” the Presidency said.

The attack on Rafah further worsens the prevailing situation and causes irreparable harm to the rights of Palestinians in Gaza and that the situation has changed significantly since the ICJ’s Order of March 28, 2024, the Presidency said. “South Africa is calling for urgent interventions and investigations of all actions that continue to cause irreparable prejudice to the rights of Palestinians, including the use of Artificial Intelligence for targeted killings.”

“We call on the international community, including the allies of the State of Israel, not to turn a blind eye to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The gross human rights violations perpetuated by Israel have scaled to incomprehensible levels of cruelty, hate and extreme violent oppression. The world must do more to end the persecution of Palestinians, including that of many innocent women and children,” the Presidency said.

South Africa is greatly encouraged by the adoption of the UN General Assembly draft resolution that recommends to the Security Council to reconsider favorably the application by Palestine for full membership of the UN. The support to this resolution shown by 143 countries is a further demonstration that the world is listening to the cries of the Palestinians, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was quoted by the statement as saying. ■