The Genocide Case Against Israel Before the World Court Just Got Much Stronger

New petition filed by South Africa to the ICJ accuses Israel of creating "extermination zones" in Gaza where any human that moves can be killed

 You can read South Africa’s new filing in its genocide case against Israel here.

Although most of the US media is ignoring the story, the explosive genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice (also known as the World Court) in my view just got a whole lot stronger. South Africa last Friday filed a powerful new petition that provides even more disturbing evidence to support its genocide claims against Israel and the Netanyahu government.

Among the chilling new facts: Israel has created "extermination zones" in Gaza where any human that moves can be killed, no questions asked; the country's army uses Artificial Intelligence to quickly put together extensive target lists, without actually verifying the person targeted is a combatant as required by international law; Israel has now "hermetically sealed" Gaza from the outside world with its invasion of Rafah, further crippling the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid needed to stave off mass famine; Israel is attacking and closing the last two hospitals in Rafah, essentially eradicating the last remnants of the territory's health care system; 600,000 children in Rafah, many alone and orphaned, have no place to flee; and Israeli snipers are actually killing children foraging for food. South Africa is asking the court to order Israel to cease its military assault on Rafah and implement a ceasefire.

To be clear, I am under no illusion that the Netanyahu government plans to comply with the court's orders. However, there is a major silver lining: the factual documentation brilliantly put forth by South Africa's legal team is another major body blow to Israel's deteriorating standing in the world. Further, 15 out of the court's 17 judges already have ordered Israel to stand as a defendant in a full-blown genocide trial that is likely to start in 2025. This will be the most important genocide trial since Nuremberg.

Establishing facts in the world's most prestigious court is one major way among many to begin to impose real human rights accountability. -Steven