Egypt declared on Sunday that it would formally back South Africa’s claim of genocide against Israel in its assault against Hamas in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.
In December, Pretoria filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) urging the UN body to compel Israel to halt its military actions in Gaza.
South Africa once more charged Israel of “continuing violations of the Genocide Convention” and of being “contemptuous” of international law in its most recent appeal to the International Court of Justice on Friday.
It further pointed to Israel’s systematic “targeting of civilians and destruction of infrastructure” and “pushing Palestinians into displacement and expulsion”.
South Africa has called on the world’s top court to order Israel to “immediately withdraw and cease its military offensive” in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city where about 1.5 million Palestinians had been pushed against the Egyptian border.
Israel invaded eastern Rafah on Monday with tanks and ground forces, eventually taking control of and closing the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
In the event that Israel conducted a comprehensive ground assault in Rafah, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that Gaza would face a “epic humanitarian disaster”.
Egypt served as a crucial mediator between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, particularly during the present conflict, and was the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
Additionally, it is the sole border with the Gaza Strip that is not under Israeli control, but since Israeli soldiers took control of the crossing at Rafah, it has refused to coordinate aid access through it.
State-linked television channel Al-Qahera News on Sunday reported a high-level source denying Israeli media reports of “coordination between Israel and Egypt at the Rafah crossing”.
Since Israeli and Palestinian negotiators left Cairo on Thursday after negotiations once more failed to result in a truce, Egypt has also repeatedly reiterated cautions against escalation.
After the initial appeal for international action by South Africa, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) called on Israel in January to avoid acts of genocide.
A second South African application for emergency relief was denied by the court.
