Pro-Palestinian protesters gather outside Hague ahead of Israel hearing

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gather outside the The Hague ahead of a hearing at which Israel will face accusations that it has committed “genocidal” acts during its war against Hamas in Gaza.

Many wave Palestinian flags as they call for a ceasefire.

This is the scene outside the international court of justice in The Hague as it prepares the international court of justice (ICJ) to hear arguments alleging that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza pic.twitter.com/sTCHTabOaN

— Haroon Siddique (@Haroon_Siddique) January 11, 2024

The hearing comes after South Africa lodged an urgent appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to force Israel to “immediately suspend” its military operations in Gaza.

Robed officials from both countries will go head-to-head in the Great Hall of Justice in the Peace Palace in The Hague, a world away from the devastation seen in Israel and Gaza since the start of the war, sparked by the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught in which some 1,200 people in Israel were killed and approximately 240 kidnapped and held hostage, mainly civilians.

President Isaac Herzog yesterday dismissed the charges as “atrocious” and “preposterous.”