Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu slams South Africa over 'genocide' complaint at ICJ

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied South Africa’s accusation that his country was carrying out “genocidal” crimes in the Palestinian territories, claiming that Israel had shown “morality” never seen before in the Gaza conflict. Netanyahu declared at a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, “We will continue our defensive war, the justice and morality of which is without peer.” Netanyahu’s remarks followed South Africa’s filing of a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, alleging “genocidal” conduct in Gaza. “No, South Africa, it is not we who have come to perpetrate genocide, it is Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “It would murder all of us if it could. In contrast, the IDF (Israeli army) is acting as morally as possible.” Following the unprecedented attack on southern Israel by Palestinian operatives on October 7, Israel began an unrelenting military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel reports that 1,140 persons were killed in the attack, the majority of them were civilians. The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza claims that over 21,800 individuals have died as a result of Israel’s current offensive in Gaza, the majority of whom were women and children. (With agency inputs)