Israel has lashed out at South Africa's case before the UN's top court, describing it as 'completely divorced' from reality, as Pretoria urges judges to order a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel defended the military necessity of its Gaza offensive on Friday at the International Court of Justice after South Africa asked judges to order it to halt operations in Rafah and completely withdraw from the Palestinian territory. Israeli Justice Ministry official Gilad Noam called Africa's case, which accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, "completely divorced from facts and circumstances".
South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands, Vusimuzi Madonsela, requested the court to order Israel to "immediately, totally and unconditionally, withdraw the Israeli army from the entirety of the Gaza Strip". Israel's Noam said that Israel's military operations were not aimed at civilians but at Hamas using Rafah as a stronghold, who have tunnel systems that could be used to smuggle hostages and militants out of Gaza.
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