By Latheef Farook

South Africa which, once  fought for its own liberation war against an apartheid regime supported for decades by  U.S , has initiated case against Israel at the  International Court of Justice- ICJ-to  force Israel to  stop its  genocide  on Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians   and declare Israel has breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

Over the past three months, as Israeli forces have killed more tan 22,000 Palestinian   civilians and bombed residential, medical, educational, and religious buildings while allegations of war crimes have mounted. Critics worldwide have accused Israel of committing “a textbook case of genocide,” citing not only the bloodshed but also comments from Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“South Africa also requested that the court order Israel to allow Palestinians removed from their homes in the Gaza Strip to return to them;  stop depriving them of water,food,  ,medicine , electricity and  and humanitarian aid and   punish those who commit such crimes .

Backed by US President Joe Biden,Britain and Europe so far Israel has killed more than 22,000 Palestinian civilians- more than 6000 of them children and equal number of women including pregnant women besides flattening and destroying more than 85 percent of the buildings  turning Gaza into a unlivable place.In the process Israel also  displaced more than 90 percent of the  population   as residents fled endless  Israeli ground offensive and airstrikes.

The ICJ’s orders are binding for Israel, as the country is a U.N. member state.

Last month, South African government voted to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel until it agrees to a permanent humanitarian cease-fire.

“The U.N. Genocide Convention must be upheld. Israel must be held accountable,” said former U.N. human rights official Craig Mokhiber, who resigned from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in October in protest of the U.N.’s failure to stop Israel’s massacre of civilians. “International law must be preserved.”

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, pointed out that “the three leading Israeli officials have declared the intent” to wipe out Gaza’s population. Bishara noted that Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in October that all civilians in Gaza are “responsible” for Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, days after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the military would collectively punish the enclave’s population, who he called “human animals.”

A U.S.-based advocacy group ,Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), founded by Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi before his 2018 assassination, submitted a list of 40 IDF commanders   responsible for executing Israel’s war in Gaza” to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“These 40 IDF commanders who have been responsible for planning, ordering, and executing Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment, wanton destruction, and mass killing of civilians in Gaza should be prime suspects in any ICC investigation,” DAWN executive director Sarah Leah Whitson said in a statement.

However  The Palestine Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Committee    accused Khan Karim Khan, the ICC chief prosecutor,of being a “genocide enabler” for his “failure to prosecute Israeli war criminals.”

Turkey  officially  backed South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ  stating  Israel’s genocide   in Gaza   should not go unpunished .

By being indifferent Arab dictators  facilitated the Israeli genocide. Instead of helping  Palestinians. Saudi Arabia  held a huge western musical show in Riyadh  while  United Arab Emirates sent ten trucks of fresh food to Israel.  This is the shameful state of affairs in the Middle East ruled by dictators installed  in power by US-Europe and Israel to keep the people oppressed  to serve their interests.