US Says Not Seeing ‘Acts of Genocide’ Against Palestinians in Gaza

Judge Joan Donoghue, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and other judges on Thursday opened two days of legal arguments in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in its Gaza war (EPA)
Judge Joan Donoghue, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and other judges on Thursday opened two days of legal arguments in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in its Gaza war (EPA)
TT

US Says Not Seeing ‘Acts of Genocide’ Against Palestinians in Gaza

Judge Joan Donoghue, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and other judges on Thursday opened two days of legal arguments in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in its Gaza war (EPA)
Judge Joan Donoghue, President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and other judges on Thursday opened two days of legal arguments in a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in its Gaza war (EPA)

The United States on Thursday strongly defended Israel, which faces charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of committing genocide against Palestinians, saying it has not observed such acts in Gaza.

Instead, Washington accused Hamas of calling for the “mass murder of Jews.”

On the eve of The Hague proceeding, US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement that the court “plays a vital role in the peaceful settlement of disputes.”

The ICJ had scheduled public hearings for Jan. 11 and 12 on South Africa's request to order an immediate halt to Israel’s military operation in the Palestinian enclave and to declare that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The definition of “genocide” in the Convention describes the term as a crime committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part.

On Thursday, the State Department said the allegation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip against Palestinians is “unfounded.”

Instead, Washington directed the blame to the opposite side, saying “it is those who are violently attacking Israel who continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews.”

Miller said: “Genocide is one of the most heinous acts any entity or individual can commit, and such allegations should only be made with the greatest of care.”

He added that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas’ terrorist acts.

The State Department said Israel faced a huge challenge in fighting an enemy in Hamas which had embedded itself within the civilian population.

Miller condemned Hamas’ October 7 “terror onslaught and the seizing of hostages,” however, he said the US still expects that Israel complies with international humanitarian law in its operations against Hamas.

“We continue to condemn dehumanizing rhetoric on all sides,” the State Department spokesman added.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “The US believes South Africa's genocide submission against Israel distracts the world from important efforts for peace and security.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called the genocide allegations “unfounded.”



Strong Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People in Tibet

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
TT

Strong Earthquake Kills at Least 126 People in Tibet

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of an earthquake in Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Xinhua via AP)

 A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the remote region.
Rescue workers climbed mounds of broken bricks, some using ladders in heavily damaged villages, as they searched for survivors. Videos posted by China's Ministry of Emergency Management showed two people being carried on stretchers by workers treading over the debris from collapsed homes.
At least 188 people were injured in Tibet on the Chinese side of the border, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
More than 1,000 homes were damaged in the barren and sparsely populated region, state broadcaster CCTV reported. In video posted by the broadcaster, building debris littered streets and crushed cars.
According to The AP, people in northeastern Nepal strongly felt the earthquake, but there were no initial reports of injuries or damage, according to the country's National Emergency Operation Center. The area around Mount Everest, about 75 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the epicenter, was empty in the depth of winter when even some residents move away to escape the cold.
The quake woke up residents in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu — about 230 kilometers (140 miles) from the epicenter — and sent them running into the streets.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about 10 kilometers (6 miles). China's Earthquake Networks Center recorded the magnitude as 6.8. Shallow earthquakes often cause more damage.
The epicenter was in Tibet's Tingri county, where the India and Eurasia plates grind against each other and can cause earthquakes strong enough to change the heights of some of the world’s tallest peaks in the Himalayan mountains.
There have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century, the USGS said.
About 150 aftershocks were recorded in the nine hours after the earthquake, and the Mount Everest scenic area on the Chinese side was closed.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to rescue people, minimize casualties and resettle those whose homes were damaged. More than 3,000 rescuers were deployed, CCTV said.
Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing was dispatched to the area to guide the work, and the government announced the allocation of 100 million yuan ($13.6 million) for disaster relief.
About 6,900 people live in three townships and 27 villages within 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) of the epicenter on the Chinese side, state media said. The average altitude in the area is about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), the Chinese earthquake center said in a social media post.
On the southwest edge of Kathmandu, a video showed water spilling out into the street from a pond in a courtyard with a small temple.
“It is a big earthquake," a woman can be heard saying. "People are all shaking.”