Thread by @T_llulah

🚨SOUTH AFRICA MADE ITS CASE AGAINST ISRAEL IN THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE🚨

I’m seeing a lot of people talking about Israel & South Africa but not a dedicated explanation so I’ve created this this thread to hopefully make things easier to understand.

Let me explain 🧵

Thursday, January 11th, 2024- South Africa (🇿🇦) made its case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where 🇿🇦's administrative capital Pretoria accuses Israel (🇮🇱) of breaching the Geneva Convention- the first legal instrument to codify genocide as a crime.

The ICJ, 1/6 of the principle organs of the UN, is the only international court to make decisions/formal judgements on general disputes between countries, guided by international laws- including the Geneva convention.

Now, 🇿🇦 has called on it to halt 🇮🇱 military action in Gaza

🇿🇦’s presention led by John Dugard- specialist in public international law, human rights, crim procedure & international crim law- lasted 3 hours.

Emphasis was placed on the extent of suffering in Palestine (🇵🇸) on Palestinians, & touched on 5 main genocidal acts committed by 🇮🇱

The 5 acts prominent 🇿🇦 lawyer, Adila Hassim spoke on:

1. Mass Killing
Showing the court images of the often unidentified mass graves, 🇿🇦 reps maintain 🇮🇱 set off massively destructive bombs in Gaza, calling it 1 of the heaviest bombing campaigns in modern warfare history

2. Forced displacement & food blockade

Hassim presented to the ICJ that 🇮🇱 has imposed conditions that cannot realistically sustain life, forcing people flee with no homes to return to (see point on bombing). Also citing how 🇮🇱 issued 24hr evacuation orders to hospitals

3. Bodily & Mental Harm.

Hassim was determined to highlight is 🇮🇱 infliction of such- citing Close to 60,000 people have been wounded & maimed, most of whom women & children, given 🇮🇱 restriction on 🇵🇸 healthcare & aid workers, the sabotage of medical care is itself genocidal.

4. Destruction of the healthcare system

Attacking hospital buildings themselves is only part of the action 🇮🇱 has taken against the healthcare system.

With overwhelming the need for lifesaving care & restricting workers & resources- 🇮🇱 is creating preventable mass death

5. Preventing Palestinian Birth

Blocking & restricting medical access includes the blocking life-saving treatment needed to deliver babies.

🇮🇱 inflicts reproductive violence as it creates conditions putting expectant mothers at risk of maternal death (defined by WHO below)

We may not see the ICJ reach a verdict for potentially years, however 🇿🇦’s immediate goal is to compel them to issue a request for an emergency order against the continuing killings & destruction in Gaza.

It is possible an interim sentence could be out in the weeks coming.

There’s so much more that is happening & will happen. I will end it here for now but may do a follow up in the coming days/weeks as things progress.

Without question I believe 🇮🇱‘s cold blooded treatment of 🇵🇸 must end

#FreePalestine

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