Israel hits back at South Africa in ICJ genocide case accusing them of distorting the truth

South Africa distorted the truth in a “sweeping counter-factual description,” Israeli lawyer Tal Becket told the International Court of Justice on Friday.

This comes as a response to South Africa's allegations that Israel breached the UN Genocide Convention, arguing that even the October 7 Hamas attack does not justify the alleged actions.

South Africa urgently appealed to the ICJ to halt Israel's military operations in Gaza, asserting that Israel is violating the UN Genocide Convention established in 1948 after the Holocaust. 

The ICJ, as the United Nations' highest court, can issue legally binding rulings.

During Israel's defence presentation on Friday, protests erupted outside the court. 

Palestinian flags were waved beneath a large screen streaming the courtroom proceedings, accompanied by banners depicting Nelson Mandela, drawing parallels between the situation in Gaza and South Africa's apartheid era.

A few hundred meters away, a symbolic Sabbath table was set up with attached photographs of more than 130 Israelis held hostage by Hamas. 

After South Africa’s hearing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the country for failing to respond to atrocities in Syria and Yemen committed by “partners of Hamas.”

"The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens,"  Netanyahu said.

"Today we saw an upside-down world. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide," he added.

A final ruling on this could take years, although the court could rule quickly on South Africa's request for Israel to suspend its military campaign.