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BBC Pidgin of Monday, 1 January 2024

Source: BBC

South Africa drag Isreal go international court for alleged 'genocidal acts'

Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa

South Africa don file case for di International Court of Justice (ICJ) wey allege say Israel dey engage in "genocidal acts" for Gaza.

Di UN court confam di proceedings wey concern di alleged violations of Israel obligations under di Genocide Convention.

Israel don strongly reject di allegation, as dem call am "baseless".

"Israel rejects wit disgust di blood libel spread by South Africa", di foreign ministry tok.

Di ICJ, wey dey based for Hague for Netherlands, na di UN principal legal bodi wey dey settle kasala between states .

Dem dey also give advice ontop international legal issues.

Following dis application to di ICJ, South Africa presidency tok inside statement say di kontri get di right "to prevent genocide make e no happun".

"South Africa dey concerned well well wit wetin civilians wey dey for di centre of di present Israeli attacks on di Gaza Strip dey face due to di indiscriminate use of force and di way dem dey use remove pipo wey dey live and stay for dia by force," E tok.

"Furthermore, tori of international crimes wey still dey go on dey, like crimes against humanity and war crimes, wey dem dey commit.

“Tori of acts wey don near di line of genocide or related crimes... dey and dem fit dey commit more in di context of di ongoing massacres for Gaza."

Wetin dey inside di document?

Di 84-page document state di "acts and omissions by Israel" dia "genocide in character sake of say dem dey intend to bring about di destruction of a substantial part of di Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group".

Di application ask di ICJ to hear di mata next week. Dem also request some number of "provisional measures" wey dey indicated by di court, including di one wey Israel cease all military activities for Gaza.

Lior Haiat, tok-tok pesin for Israel foreign affairs ministry, say South Africa claim "constitute despicable and contemptuous exploitation of di Court."

Im say South Africa bin dey "cooperate wit one terrorist organisation wey dey call for di destruction of di State of Israel" and say Hamas bin dey "responsible for di suffering of di Palestinians for di Gaza Strip and dem dey use dem as human shields. Dem dey also steal humanitarian aid from dem".

"Israel dey committed to international law and we dey also acts in accordance wit am, and we dey direct military efforts only against di Hamas terrorist organization and di oda terrorist organizations wey dey cooperate wit Hamas," Mr Haiat tok.

"Israel don make am clear say di pipo wey dey stay for di Gaza Strip no be dia enemy, and dem dey make evri effort to limit harm to di pipo wey no dey involved and to allow humanitarian aid to enta di Gaza Strip."

South Africa dey highly critical of Israel military operation for Gaza.

For early November, dem recall all dia diplomats from Israel. Israel too recall dia ambassador from Pretoria.

In addition, di South African national assembly bin vote to suspend all diplomatic relations wit Israel, but di goment neva formally respond to di vote.

South Africa bin don file a referral to a different court, di International Criminal Court (ICC), relating to alleged war crimes by Israel for Gaza.

Di ICC dey ​investigate and try individuals wey dey charged wit genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. But Israel no recognise di ICC.

Na di 7 October attack on southern Israel trigger di current war between Israel and Hamas wey kill about 1,200 pipo- most of dem na civilians - and dem take about 240 odas as hostage.

More dan 21,500 pipo don die for Gaza - mostly children and women - wen Israeli attack Gaza back, according to di health ministry wey Hamas dey run.