South Africa has urged the UN's top court to put more legal pressure on Israel to stop ground operations in Gaza's densely populated Rafah area. They made this request to the International Criminal Court (ICJ) on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Pretoria appealed to the ICJ accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza. The court has not yet ruled on that petition.
However, on January 26, the court in an interim order ordered Israel to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians and the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Despite this directive, Israel continued the operation. Their forces are preparing ground operations alongside airstrikes in the densely populated Rafah city. More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have taken refuge in the city of Rafah to escape Israeli attacks.
South Africa requested the ICJ to reconsider its interim order against Israel and issue a stricter order. This order can be given on the basis of their interim orders.
South Africa said the situation in Gaza required the court's urgent attention since the interim order. "We are deeply concerned about Israel's continued military offensive in Gaza," it said.
South Africa says Israel has already announced a ground operation in the town of Rafah and will cause further carnage, damage and destruction.
The South African president's office warned that this would be a gross violation of the Genocide Convention and the January 26 court order.
The Office of the President hopes, South Africa believes, that the court will take the necessary urgent action in light of the massive casualties in Gaza every day.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 28,473 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israel's indiscriminate military attacks. Most of whom are women and children.
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