Wetin be di International Court of Justice and why dem dey hear di genocide case against Israel?

Dis na di court case of di century. On 11 and 12 January, lawyers wey dey represent South Africa and Israel go enta court room as di world dey watch.

Israel dey commit genocide against di Palestinian pipo for Gaza? South Africa tok say Isreal dey do am and e don file case for di International Court of Justice for Hague on 29 December 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tok say im kontri dey behave wit unparalleled "morality" in dia Gaza campaign, while goment tok-tok pesin tok say South Africa case to "blood libel", na false allegation, na Jews murder Christians to use dia blood for ancient rituals.

Wetin be South Africa case?

South Africa, 84-page filling tok say Israel actions "bin dey genocidal in character becos dem intend to bring about di destruction of substantial part" of di Palestinians for Gaza.

E argue say genocidal acts include killing Palestinians, causing serious mental and bodily harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions wey go "bring about dia physical destruction as a group". E tok say statements by Israeli officials express genocidal intent.

Juliette McIntyre, one lecturer for law department, University of South Australia, tok say South Africa application dey "very comprehensive" and dem don "very carefully craft am".

"E dey seek to respond to evri potential argument by Israel… and address any claim wey di court fit dey lack jurisdiction," she tell BBC.

"South Africa say e don raise di issue wit Israel in many different forums bifor e file di case."

Wetin be Israel response?

Israeli goment tok-tok pesin Eylon Levy tok say Israel go fight di case. Im also tok say Hamas go bear full moral responsibility for di war wey start.

Wetin be genocide?

Under di 1948 UN Genocide Convention, na di act wey dem commit wit intent to destroy whole or part of national, ethnical, racial or religious group, wey dey involve:

• Killing members of di group.

• Causing serious bodily or mental harm to member of di group.

• Deliberately inflicting conditions of life wey go bring physical destruction.

• Imposing measures wey go prevent make dem born pikin.

• Forcibly transferring children of di group to another group.

Genocide na one of di hardest international crime to prove.

Who fit dey accused of genocide?

State or one pesin fit dey accused of genocide.

Michael Becker, wey be assistant law professor for Trinity College Dublin, tok say difference dey between finding state in violation of di Genocide Convention compare to finding one pesin wey dey guilty of committing genocide.

"Dis distinction dey complicated and e fit cause confusion," im tok.

Wetin be di International Court of Justice role?

ICJ na di United Nations top court wey dey rule on disputes between states. All members of UN na automatic members of di ICJ.

One state fit file case wit di ICJ, wey dey compose of 15 judges elected for nine-year term by di General Assembly and di Security Council of di United Nations.

One part of di court dey remit to hear disputes regarding di 1948 Genocide Convention.

Nazis of Europe kill six million Jews during World War Two from 1939 to 1945. Aftaward, world leaders sought to avoid repeat by adopting dis convention.

Israel, South Africa, Myanmar, Russia and di United States dey among di 153 parties wey ratify am.

About di International Criminal Court?

Di International Criminal Court wey dem establish for 2002, e dey base for Hague. Dis na di court of last resort wey dey act wen domestic court fail. Di US, Russia and Israel no be members.

Di ICC dey hear criminal cases and dem fit convict individual of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Each get different definition in law. Di ICC prosecutor go open or start di case.

Who dem don convict of genocide?

Di first pesin wey dem go convict of genocide na Rwandan Hutu Jean-Paul Akayesu for 1998 at di UN-sponsored International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for im role in di1994 mass killing of Tutsis wey about 800,000 pipo die.

For 2017, di International Criminal Tribunal for di former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convict former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic of genocide for di 1995 Srebrenica massacre wia 8,000 Muslim men and boys die by soldiers.

But di International Court of Justice reject di claim wey Bosnia file say Serbia, or di former Yugoslavia, don directly commit genocide for Srebrenica.

Instead, di court find say Serbia fail to prevent genocide and hand ova one of dia top general.

Oga Becker, wey dey work as law clerk for ICJ, tok say di court set high bar for establishing state "genocidal intent".

Wetin be di Israel-Gaza war?

Di war start on 7 October 2023 wen Hamas militants break out of Gaza and kill 1,200 Israelis, also dem carry more dan 200 hostages back wit dem.

Since den, Israel don carry out air strikes, launch ground invasion and order Palestinians make dem move to di south of di Gaza Strip. Dem don also restrict food and fuel deliveries.

Di Hamas-run health ministry tok say more dan 22,000 pipo don die so far, mostly women and children.

Israel, di UK, US and oda Western powers class see Hamas as terrorist organisation.

Wetin go happun on 11 and 12 January 2024?

South Africa don also file case asking di ICJ to take provisional or interim measures. E wan di court to order Israel to stop all military action for Gaza. Dis na urgent procedure wey dem go hear first.

"Dis no go lead to findings of genocide for stage," Ms McIntyre tok. "Di standard of proof dey veri low. Di kwesion wey dem dey ask be say weda chance of irreversible harm dey."

South Africa dey argue say "plausible risk of genocide dey occurr", Ms McIntyre add, wia time dey essence.

Ukraine make similar application afta Russia invade am on 24 February 2022, and di ICJ order Russia make dem stop di military campaign few weeks later. Moscow ignore am.

Ms McIntyre expect ICJ to give im judgement by di end of January.

"Such decision go put pressure on Israel," Ms McIntyre tok, but add say e no go be final, and di ICJ no gey how e go fit enforce am.

"Di court fit later find say no genocide wen e look at di merits or di substance of di case."

Mr Becker tok say di ICJ interim judgement against Russia dey "striking" for going so far as to order Russia to stop im campaign.

"I dey a little more sceptical syu di court go tell Israel make dem stop," im tok, as e dey suggest say di court fit ask Israel to "restrict" im military campaign.

"Wetin all dat mean be say Israel must abide by di international legal obligations wey im don already get," im add.

Oda genocide cases for ICJ?

Ms McIntyre tok say di most valid comparison na di Gambia genocide case against Myanmar.

Palestinians fo Gaza and di Rohingya pipo no fit access di ICJ as dem no be nation states, so oda kontris dey do am on dia behalf.

Gambia, on behalf of Muslim kontris, accuse Myanmar of committing genocide against di Rohingya pipo afta dem force up to one million to run commot go Bangladesh for 2017.

Late in 2023, di UK, Denmark, France, Germany and di Netherlands, along wit Canada to join di case, meaning dem fit make legal arguments.

"Dis na signal to di world and di court say dem support di action wey happun," Ms McIntyre tok.

Western kontris make similar move to back Ukraine for ICJ.

But Ms McIntyre feel say di West go mostly no interfere for dis case.

"We no go see Western states intervening to support South Africa," she tok.

"Di kwesion be say weda we go see intervention from Arab states."

Wen we fit expect a final judgement?

Di Gambia file dia case for November 2019 but di hearing of substantial part neva happun. E fit take years for di final judgement.

If di ICJ find say Israel don commit genocide for Gaza, Ms McIntyre tok say e fit later be use as evidence for any individual criminal prosecution for ICC.

Di two legal experts agree say such judgement against Israel go put pressure on odackontris, especially Israel supporters, to reconsider dia relations wit Tel Aviv.

However, di US don already come out strongly against South Africa case.

White House National Security Council tok-tok pesin John Kirby say e dey "meritless" and "completely witout any basis in fact".