The second day of the hearing was held in The Hague with Israel’s defense to South Africa’s urgent appeal, seeking additional provisional measures against Israel, Anadolu reported.
During opening remarks, Israeli representative Gilad Noam said that the notification of the hearing “came as a great surprise,” adding that although Israel asked that the hearing be rescheduled to next week, it was rejected.
Claiming that Israel has worked “diligently to enable the protection of civilians,” Noam claimed that it is Israel’s “right and obligation to defend” its citizens.
For her part, Tamar Kaplan Tourgeman, the principal deputy legal adviser at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, argued that Israel did not close southern Gaza’s two main crossings, Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings.
“This is blatantly untrue,” claimed Tourgeman, claiming that Israel allows and facilitates the provision of more humanitarian aid.
As Tourgeman delivered the statement, someone inside the court shouted “liar,” and feed was cut but returned a few moments later.
Before closing the hearing, the ICJ has put a question to the Israeli delegation about the humanitarian situation in evacuation zones in the besieged enclave.
“Can Israel provide information about the existing humanitarian conditions in the designated evacuation zones, in particular al-Mawasi, and how it would ensure safe passage to these zones, as well as the provision of shelter, food, water, and other humanitarian aid and assistance to all evacuees that are and can be expected to arrive in these zones?” read Judge Georg Nolte.
South Africa on Thursday requested an order to end Israel’s Gaza offensive at the ICJ as the country seeks additional provisional measures against Israel.
The South African delegation pointed to “willful breaches” by Israel against the court’s binding orders. The delegation said South Africa was compelled to return to the court due to the “continuing annihilation of the Palestinian people.”
South Africa filed an “urgent request” last Friday with the ICJ for additional measures amid Israel’s attacks on Gaza, particularly in the city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are taking shelter.
“In its new request, South Africa states that the provisional measures previously indicated by the Court are not capable of ‘fully address(ing)’ the changed circumstances and new facts on which (its) Request is founded,” the ICJ said in a statement.
South Africa took Israel to the ICJ in late 2023, blaming it for genocide in Gaza.
An interim ruling in January said it is “plausible” that Tel Aviv is committing genocide in the coastal enclave, and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians.
SD/PR
