In its filing to the ICJ, Jerusalem says its Gaza war targeted Hamas terrorists, not civilians, asserting its right to self-defense following the Oct. 7 massacre.
Israel on Saturday submitted a counter-memorial to the International Court of Justice, rejecting what it called South Africa’s “fabricated and politicized blood libel” accusing the Jewish state of genocide in Gaza.
The Foreign Ministry said Pretoria is acting as the Hamas terrorist group’s “legal mouthpiece” and “weaponizing international law as a propaganda spectacle.” It argued that Israel has the right to defend itself following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, stressing that its operations target Hamas terrorists, not civilians.
Israel said it took “extraordinary efforts” to reduce civilian harm and facilitate humanitarian aid, while accusing Hamas of using Gazans as human shields.