Jan. 26 (UPI) — The International Court of Justice in the Hague is set to issue a preliminary ruling Friday in the genocide case against Israel, as the main United States ally in the Middle East is accused of committing atrocities amid the ongoing war with Hamas.
The panel of 15 judges will rule following a two-day hearing on the genocide claims earlier this month, with South African government attorneys outlining the alleged crimes and urging the top court of the United Nations to order Israel to immediately pull out of Gaza.
The ruling will determine whether Israel violated the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a U.N.-sponsored human rights treaty that was established in the wake of the Holocaust to prevent future instances of genocide after several million Jews were systematically murdered by the Nazis during World War II.
The treaty — signed in 1948 by Israel, South Africa and other nations — defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”
The case comes nearly 16 weeks after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which led to an all-out invasion by the Israeli military that has killed upwards of 25,000 Palestinian civilians, including 6,000 dead children, according to estimates by the Gaza Ministry of Health.
By comparison, only 9,000 Hamas militants are believed to be killed so far in the conflict, while about 1,200 Israelis were killed during the opening salvo by Hamas.
A simultaneous hostage crisis also emerged as more than 200 Israeli civilians were taken captive during the deadliest attack in its territory since the country was established.
Despite a pair of brief ceasefires to free more than 100 hostages, the war continues unabated as diplomats from several nations scramble behind the scenes in pursuit of a long-term peace agreement.
Meanwhile, during opening statements, South African government lawyers accused Israel of intentionally targeting Palestinian families and children, demonstrating a “pattern of genocide.”
The attorneys also argued that the latest Middle East war brought to light decades of Israeli oppression against Palestine, which amounted to a “plausible claim of genocidal acts.”
Earlier this month as the proceedings got underway, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the charges ridiculous and vowed to continue the invasion until Hamas is annihilated.
Israeli military leaders maintain they are abiding by international law and making every effort to minimize harm to civilians in areas where Hamas operates underground.
A finding of genocide by the court would result in a prosecution that could take several years to play out.
