“To accuse the Jewish State of genocide is to cross a moral threshold. We cannot exploit the notion of genocide for political ends,” declared Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, during questions to the government in the Assembly. national.
A hearing has been taking place since January 11 before the highest court of the United Nations, headquartered in The Hague, which Pretoria seized last month, arguing that Israel was violating the United Nations Convention on Genocide, signed in 1948 following the Holocaust.
“Systematic strikes in Gaza must stop”
South Africa wants judges to order Israel to “immediately” stop the military campaign launched in the Gaza Strip after the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, which left around 1,140 dead. according to an AFP count based on the Israeli toll.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas in power in the Gaza Strip and launched an offensive in this Palestinian territory which left at least 24,448 dead, mostly women, adolescents and children, according to the latest assessment of the Hamas Ministry of Health.
“We firmly say to the Israelis: ‘respect for the law is essential for everyone, the systematic strikes in Gaza must stop’, but the words have meaning,” added Stéphane Séjourné. On Friday, the German government also rejected the accusation of “genocide” brought against Israel, seeing in it the risk of a “political exploitation” of the law and considering that it was “devoid of any basis”.