THE HAGUE, January 11. /TASS/. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will start hearings on a genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel.

South Africa brought the case accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip on December 29, 2023. Its application lays out that Israeli actions are genocidal in character as "they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group." In its application, South Africa demands that the court rule that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention and that it should stop hostilities in the Gaza Strip and pay reparations.

Also, South Africa insists that precautionary measures be taken to protect Palestinians from "further serious and irreparable" violations of their rights while calling to ensure that Israel complies with its obligations under the convention. Hearings to be held on Thursday and Friday will consider exactly this issue.

The court is expected to deliver its interim ruling against Israel in the next few weeks. While ICJ verdicts are binding, the authority does not have mechanisms to enforce them at its disposal.