South Africa accuses Israel of genocide, Germany steps in to defend in International Court

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is assessing a case by the Republic of South Africa. This case accuses Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and demands an end to Israel's military campaign. Having already announced its intervention as a third party in the ongoing proceedings, the German government is anticipated to defend Israel at The Hague.

"We understand that various countries have different interpretations regarding Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip. However, the federal government firmly and unequivocally denies the genocide accusation leveled against Israel by the International Court of Justice. This accusation is unfounded," asserted Steffen Hebestreit, the press spokesman for the German government, in a statement released on Friday. He argued that, since October 7 of last year, Israel has not violated the Convention on Genocide.

Hamas has requested Germany to reconsider its decision to support Tel Aviv before the ICJ in The Hague. Izzat al-Riszk, a member of Hamas's political bureau, articulated this stance on Sunday.

"We urge Germany to stop supporting Zionist crimes and to disavow the acknowledgment of genocide for crimes perpetrated against the Palestinian nation in the Gaza Strip," stressed Izzat al-Riszk. He underscored that Germany cannot absolve itself of its historical crimes related to Nazism by supporting the actions of what he referred to as the "new Nazis" (Israel).