The German government rejected the accusation of “genocide” made by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice, warning against the “political exploitation” of this accusation.
Last month, South Africa filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, alleging that Israel is violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, signed in 1948 following the Jewish Holocaust during World War II.
The German government stated in a release on Friday that it “firmly and explicitly rejects the accusations of genocide directed against Israel at the International Court of Justice. These accusations are baseless.”
It added, “Given Germany’s history and the Holocaust, which was a crime against humanity, the (German) government feels a particular connection to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”
The statement emphasized that Germany “strongly opposes any political exploitation.” In its statement, Berlin asserted that “Hamas’s goal is the destruction of Israel,” adding that “Israel has been defending itself” since October 7 “against the inhumane attacks launched by Hamas.” The German government has shown consistent support for Israel since October 7 but has recently increased its calls for the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The situation in Gaza following the Israeli attacks has been severe and has resulted in a significant number of casualties and destruction. According to reports from Al Jazeera, as of early January 2024, the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 22,000, with at least 57,000 people injured. These figures have been increasing since the onset of the conflict on October 7. The Ministry of Health in Gaza has stated that in a 24-hour period, there were 135 deaths and 312 injuries. Additionally, a substantial number of these casualties are women and children.
Amnesty International has raised serious concerns about potential war crimes due to the nature of the Israeli attacks. They have documented incidents where there appeared to be no military targets in the vicinity of the attacks, suggesting that the strikes may have been direct attacks on civilians or civilian objects, which is prohibited under international law and constitutes a war crime. For example, an Israeli air strike on a family home in Gaza City’s al-Sahaba Street killed 12 members of the Hijazi family and four neighbors, including children. Amnesty International found no evidence of military targets in the area at the time of the attack.
Moreover, the intensity and scale of the Israeli bombing campaign have been highlighted as unprecedented. According to Jacobin Magazine, Israel reportedly dropped around 29,000 munitions on Gaza, averaging nearly 500 bombs per day. This rate is significantly higher than bombing rates in other conflict zones over the past twenty years. The use of large munitions in densely populated areas and a high proportion of unguided bombs have exacerbated the potential for civilian casualties. There have also been reports suggesting that the Israeli military had relaxed its restrictions on bombing civilian targets.
