‘Blood libel’: Israel slams South Africa for requesting ICJ genocide investigation

The Foreign Ministry slams South Africa for asking the International Court of Justice to investigate Israel for allegedly violating the UN’s Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza against Hamas, dismissing Pretoria’s accusations as a “blood libel.”

“South Africa’s claim has no factual and judicial basis and is a despicable and cheap exploitation of the court,” the ministry says in a statement. “South Africa is collaborating with a terror group that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.”

The ministry blames Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by attempting “to carry out genocide” on October 7, when terrorists from the Strip killed some 1,200 people and took around 240 hostages after invading southern Israel.

It also stresses Israeli military operations in Gaza are directed against Hamas and other terror factions, adding that “Israel has clarified that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not the enemy.”

“We call on the International Court of Justice and the international community to reject the baseless claims of South Africa out of hand,” the statement says.