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Middle East conflict

Israel’s Netanyahu fires back at South Africa for genocide accusations

Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israel was fighting terrorists and lies

TEL AVIV, January 11. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected South Africa’s accusations that Israel was committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, calling them out for hypocrisy and saying that his country would continue "fighting terrorists and lies" until the bitter end.

"We are fighting terrorists, and we are fighting lies. Today, again, we saw an upside down world, in which the State of Israel is accused of genocide at a time when it is fighting genocide," Netanyahu said in a speech, a video of which was released by the prime minister's office.

According to Netanyahu, the moves of the South African authorities, who filed a lawsuit against Israel for possible violation of the Genocide Convention at UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, are hypocritical. "We know where we are. We will continue to fight the terrorists. We will continue to refute the lies. We will continue to uphold our just right to defend ourselves and to ensure our future - until total victory," he summed up.

The South African Republic filed a lawsuit against Israel for allegedly violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) on December 29, 2023. The document asserts that the actions of the Israeli authorities can be characterized as genocide because they are being committed with the intent "to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group." South Africa’s claim asks the court to rule Israel is in breach of its obligations under the genocide convention and must cease all hostilities in the Gaza Strip as well as pay reparations.

In addition, South Africa has demanded precautionary measures be taken to protect Palestinians from further, grave and irreparable violations of their rights and to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the convention. The court’s verdict on the precautionary measures is expected to be delivered within a few weeks. The court’s rulings are binding; however, the authority has no mechanism to enforce them.

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