Israel to Appear before ICJ to Counter South Africa’s Gaza Case

 A man rides a scooter past a sticker depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a street in Tel Aviv, Israel January 2, 2024. (Reuters)
A man rides a scooter past a sticker depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a street in Tel Aviv, Israel January 2, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israel to Appear before ICJ to Counter South Africa’s Gaza Case

 A man rides a scooter past a sticker depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a street in Tel Aviv, Israel January 2, 2024. (Reuters)
A man rides a scooter past a sticker depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a street in Tel Aviv, Israel January 2, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague to contest South Africa's genocide accusations over the war with Hamas in Gaza, an Israeli government spokesman said on Tuesday.

South Africa asked the ICJ on Friday for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against Hamas.

"The State of Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at The Hague to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel," spokesman Eylon Levy told an online briefing.

"We assure South Africa's leaders, history will judge you, and it will judge you without mercy," Levy said.

South Africa has for decades backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories. It has likened the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority in South Africa during the apartheid era, a comparison Israel strongly denies.

The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between states. Israel's foreign ministry has said the suit was "baseless."

Lawyers representing South Africa are preparing for the hearing scheduled on Jan. 11 and 12, Clayson Monyela, a spokesperson for South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said in a post on the platform X.

The war was triggered by a cross-border attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, which Israel says killed 1,200 people.

Israel responded with an air and land assault that has killed more than 22,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. While its casualty figures do not differentiate between fighters and civilians, the ministry has said that 70% of Gaza's dead are women and those under 18. Israel disputes Palestinian casualty figures and says it has killed 8,000 fighters.

Levy listed a series of measures Israel's military has taken to minimize harm to non-combatants.

He said Hamas bore full moral responsibility for the war it started and was "waging from inside and underneath hospitals, schools, mosques, homes and UN facilities", Levy said.

He added, without elaborating, that South Africa was complicit in Hamas' crimes against Israelis.

Hamas denies using Gaza's population as human shields.



North Korean Leader Kim Touts New Naval Destroyer, Blames US for Tensions

A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 26 April 2025 shows North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and daughter Kim Ju Ae attending the launching ceremony of a newly-built destroyer at Nampho Dockyard, North Korea, 25 April 2025, on the founding anniversary of the first armed forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA). (EPA/KCNA)
A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 26 April 2025 shows North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and daughter Kim Ju Ae attending the launching ceremony of a newly-built destroyer at Nampho Dockyard, North Korea, 25 April 2025, on the founding anniversary of the first armed forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA). (EPA/KCNA)
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North Korean Leader Kim Touts New Naval Destroyer, Blames US for Tensions

A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 26 April 2025 shows North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and daughter Kim Ju Ae attending the launching ceremony of a newly-built destroyer at Nampho Dockyard, North Korea, 25 April 2025, on the founding anniversary of the first armed forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA). (EPA/KCNA)
A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 26 April 2025 shows North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and daughter Kim Ju Ae attending the launching ceremony of a newly-built destroyer at Nampho Dockyard, North Korea, 25 April 2025, on the founding anniversary of the first armed forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA). (EPA/KCNA)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a new naval destroyer, claiming it as a significant advancement toward his goal of expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, state media said Saturday.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Kim attended the launching ceremony for the 5,000-ton warship on Friday at the western port of Nampo.

Kim framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and its allies in Asia, who have been expanding joint military exercises amid rising tensions over the North’s nuclear program. He added that the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening his navy.

The new “multipurpose” destroyer, touted by state media as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships, is designed to handle various weapons systems, including anti-air and anti-naval weapons, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, Kim said. He said the destroyer will be handed over to the navy early next year and begin active duty.

Kim criticized recent efforts by the United States and South Korea to expand joint military exercises and update their nuclear deterrence strategies, portraying them as preparations for war. He vowed to “respond decisively to this geopolitical crisis and ongoing developments,” according to his speech carried by KCNA.

South Korea’s military didn’t immediately comment on the North Korean claims about its new warship. North Korea’s unveiling of the new warship follows its March revealing of a purported nuclear-powered submarine under construction. However, some experts question whether the impoverished and largely isolated nation could develop such advanced capabilities without foreign assistance.

Nuclear-powered submarines were among a broad list of advanced weapons that Kim pledged to develop at a major political conference in 2021, citing growing US-led threats. His wish list also included solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, and multi-warhead missiles. Since then, North Korea has conducted a series of tests aimed at acquiring these capabilities.

Regional tensions have increased as Kim continues to flaunt his military nuclear capabilities and align with Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump has said he would reach out to Kim again to revive diplomacy, but the North has not responded to that offer. While the two leaders met three times during Trump’s first term, negotiations broke down over disagreements on easing US-led sanctions in exchange for steps toward the North's denuclearization.

Kim’s foreign policy focus has since shifted to Russia, which he has supplied with weapons and military personnel to support its warfighting in Ukraine. South Korean officials are concerned that, in return, Pyongyang could receive economic aid and advanced military technology to further develop its weapons programs.