Israel (babo.net) - An Israeli delegation of 20 people, lawyers and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, arrived in The Hague for the court hearing.
The delegation will be heavily guarded as massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations are expected during the meeting.
A delegation of the families of the abducted, who still remain in Gaza, also went to the trial.
The essence of South Africa's claim is that Israel is killing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, causing serious mental and physical harm, as well as creating living conditions “aimed at the physical destruction of those in the Gaza Strip,” that is, Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.
Both countries, Israel and South Africa, signed the 1948 Genocide Convention.
The lawsuit alleges that Israel failed to provide essential food, water, medicine, fuel, shelter and other humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip during the war. The document also points to the ongoing bombing campaign, which has evacuated some 1.9 million Palestinians and killed more than 23,000 people, according to health authorities in Gaza.
Discussions will take place over the next two days. South Africa and Israel will have two hours on separate days to make their case for or against emergency measures. There will be no witness testimony or cross-examination. The presentation will primarily feature legal arguments presented by government officials and their international legal teams.
The request for emergency measures is the first step in a case that will take several years to resolve. The court will not make a final decision on South Africa's genocide charges until the merits of the case are heard.
A decision on emergency measures is expected in a few weeks.
The lawsuit includes, among other things, statements by Israeli ministers. Amichai Eliyahu, who did not rule out dropping an atomic bomb on the Gaza Strip, as well as a statement by a number of politicians, according to which “there are no innocents” in Gaza.
On the eve of the trial, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the international community in English.
bbabo.Net