Minister Lamola pleased with SA team’s strong case in The Hague

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Justice Minister Ronald Lamola says he’s pleased that the South African team presented a compelling case, anchored in the facts and the conventions of the United Nations.

The country took its case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, in the Netherlands.

The South African team arrives back in the country on Sunday.

South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel denies the accusation, saying SA’s call for an immediate end to the fighting in Gaza was an attempt to prevent Israel from defending itself.

Lamola says he believes Israel “dismally failed” in its defence before the ICJ.

“We believe that we have presented a compelling legal argument for the court to find in or favour. We also anticipated some of the arguments from the state of Israel in particular the one of self-defence and that will not apply to Israel as an occupier. There’s jurisprudence in that effect of the court, and we’ve condemned the actions of Hamas on the 7th of October. Whatever atrocities that are committed there’s also jurisprudence of the court that effect but there’s nothing that can justify genocidal intent or activities. We believe that they’ve not been able to give a compelling argument that can persuade the court otherwise.”

Reaction to South Africa’s ICJ genocide claims: