One of the lawyers representing South Africa in the case against Israel over the genocide in Gaza said there was an “extraordinary feature” in this case: “Israel’s political leaders, military commanders and people in official positions have systematically and in explicit terms of its genocidal intent.” Tembeka Ngcukaitobi's statement came during the first hearing of the case at the International Court of Justice, in The Hague.
He said these statements “are then repeated by soldiers on the ground in Gaza as they engage in the destruction of Palestinians and the physical infrastructure of Gaza.”
“Israel’s special genocidal intent is rooted in the belief that, in fact, the enemy is not just the military wing of Hamas, or even Hamas in general, but is embedded in the fabric of Palestinian life in Gaza,” said Ngcukaitobi .
He cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Israeli forces on October 28, before the imminent launch of his ground offensive in Gaza.
“Remember what Amalek did to you,” Netanyahu said in his speech, which Ngcukaitobi told the court “refers to a biblical command from God to Saul for the retaliatory destruction of an entire group of people known as Amalekites.”
Ngcukaitobi cited a verse from the book of Samuel also referring to the Amalekites. “Do not spare them; kill men and women, children and babies, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys,” the verse says.
Ngcukaitobi then referenced quotes from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“On October 9, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant gave a situation update to the army, where he said that as Israel was imposing a complete siege on Gaza, there would be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything would be closed. Because Israel is fighting “human animals,”' Ngcukaitobi told the court.
Ngcukaitobi continued: “Speaking to troops at the Gaza border, he instructed that he has released “all restrictions” and that Gaza will not return to what it was before.”
“We will eliminate everything. We will reach everywhere,” Ngcukaitobi said, quoting Gallant.
Source: CNN Brasil
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