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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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Victor Orban also said that hopes for the development of economic cooperation with the United States after President-elect Donald Trump takes office

Russia ready to normalize relations with US without detriment to its interests — Putin

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Dmitry Peskov added that it is not planned to issue any joint statements

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Oreshnik test launch forces London to take a step back — Russian ambassador

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Putin to extend New Year greetings to peoples of several unfriendly countries — Kremlin

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Dmitry Medvedev noted that Ukraine will never join NATO

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The Al Arabiya television channel said that, citing a source

Top Turkish diplomat calls for listing anti-Syrian sanctions

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Slovak PM thanks Putin in Russian for meeting with him

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Is Gaddafi's gloom prophecy in regard to Europe bound to be fulfilled?

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"It is not our business to forecast," he said

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Putin responds to question about Russia's weakness by quoting Mark Twain

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The ministry clarified that Ukraine launched a missile strike against the Kamensky Integrated Plant in the Rostov Region using six US-made ATACMS missiles and four Storm Shadow cruise missiles

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Eight motor vehicles and two electronic warfare stations were also destroyed? the ministy added

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Victor Orban also said that hopes for the development of economic cooperation with the United States after President-elect Donald Trump takes office

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More than 107,600 people received wounds

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Putin holding talks with visiting Slovak PM

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Russian troops liberate two communities in Donbass area, Kharkov Region over past day

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TASS has gathered the main information about the incident

Georgian president demands appointing snap elections within week

Salome Zourabichvili also promised to announce her further plans on Monday

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Russian forces create bridgehead near Kupyansk-Uzlovoy in Kharkov Region — expert

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Drone attack triggers fire at fuel infrastructure facility in Russia’s Oryol Region

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Russia has confidence in its weapons, senior diplomat says

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Father of conscript who killed 8 in Siberia asks son to cooperate with investigators

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US wants to destabilize whole region using terrorists in Afghanistan — Shoigu

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Serbia will never joint anti-Russian sanctions, deputy prime minister vows

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Israeli minister’s suggestion of nuclear strike on Gaza raises questions — Russian MFA

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Magdeburg attacker may be charged with murder of 5, attempted murder of 205 — prosecutor

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Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov also informed of the death of the deputy commander of the army corps for military-political work, Colonel Yevgeny Brovko, who led the efforts of the personnel

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