(17 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Hague, Netherlands – 17 May 2024
1. Mid of South Africa team in the courtroom
2. Close up on the board of South Africa table
3. Cutaway of journalists
4. South Africa’s Ambassador in the Netherlands, Vusimusi Mandonsela, and Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa (DIRCO), Zane Dangor seated
5. Arrival of Israeli representative Gilad Noam
6. Mid of Israeli team
7. Mid of the Israeli team and the sign of the ICJ
8. Focus pull from the South African team to the Israeli team
9. Various of the ICJ judges’ arrival
STORYLINE:
Israel will respond to charges of genocide at the United Nations’ top court on Friday, after South Africa filed an urgent request with the court to order a cease-fire in Gaza.
It’s the third time that the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, has held hearings on the Israel-Hamas war since South Africa filed proceedings at The Hague-based court in December.
On Thursday, South Africa told the court that the situation in Gaza has reached “a new and horrific stage,” and urged the 15 judges to take urgent action.
Israel must “totally and unconditionally withdraw” from the Gaza Strip, said Vusimuzi Madonsela, South Africa’s ambassador to the Netherlands.
South Africa has submitted four requests for the ICJ to investigate Israel.
According to the latest request, the country says Israel’s military incursion in Rafah threatens the “very survival of Palestinians in Gaza.”
During hearings earlier this year, Israel strongly denied committing genocide in Gaza, saying it does all it can to spare civilians and is only targeting Hamas militants. Israel says Rafah is the last stronghold of the militant group.
In January, judges ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza, but the panel stopped short of ordering an end to the military offensive.
The court has already found that there is a “real and imminent risk” to the Palestinian people in Gaza by Israel’s military operations.
ICJ judges have broad powers to order a cease-fire and other measures, though the court doesn’t have its own enforcement apparatus.
On Sunday, Egypt announced it plans to join the case.
Several countries have also indicated they plan to intervene, but so far only Libya, Nicaragua and Colombia have filed formal requests to do so.
Most of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people has been displaced since fighting began.
AP video shot by Aleks Furtula
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