Israel’s Actions In Gaza Cannot Be Described As Genocide: UK
On Saturday, the British government expressed significant apprehensions regarding a decision from the top court of the United Nations, which called for Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent any occurrences of genocide in Gaza.
The initial verdict in a significant case initiated by South Africa was delivered on Friday by The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The ruling also mandated Israel to permit humanitarian entry to the Palestinian territory.
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“We respect the role and independence of the ICJ. However… we have considerable concerns about this case, which is not helpful in the goal of achieving a sustainable ceasefire,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.
“Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas in line with IHL (international humanitarian law),” the spokesperson added.
“Our view is that Israel’s actions in Gaza cannot be described as genocide, which is why we thought South Africa’s decision to bring the case was wrong and provocative.”
1948 UN Genocide Convention
South Africa has accused Israel of violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, established in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust. This accusation comes in response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which was initiated following the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
Nevertheless, the Foreign Office expressed its approval of the ICJ’s urging for the prompt liberation of hostages and the increased delivery of aid to Gaza.
“We are clear that an immediate pause is necessary to get aid in and hostages out, and then we want to build towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to the fighting.”
The Hamas assault on October 7 led to approximately 1,140 fatalities in Israel, with the majority being civilians, as reported by AFP and based on official Israeli statistics.
Since then, the Gaza Strip has witnessed Israeli bombardments and ground offensives, resulting in the death of at least 26,083 Palestinians. Approximately 70 percent of the casualties are comprised of women, young children, and adolescents, according to the health ministry of the Hamas government.
Israel’s Actions In Gaza Cannot Be Described As Genocide: UK