Israel denies genocide allegations in United Nations court

Representatives for Israel on Friday rejected South Africa’s claims that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. Arguments took place at the United Nations’ International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. Tal Becker, a legal consultant for Israel’s foreign ministry, explained that Israel is only aiming to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas, not the Palestinian people themselves. Becker also questioned the claim of 23,000 Palestinian casualties by Hamas leaders. “How many were killed by Hamas fire?” he asked. “How many were civilians taking direct part in hostilities?”

How does the UN define genocide? The UN’s Genocide Convention was first adopted in 1948 and currently defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.” Such acts can include killing or inflicting serious physical or mental damage on a people group. Intentionally lowering the birth rate of a people group or forcibly moving children from one group to another are also considered acts of genocide. The world court has never ruled a country responsible for genocide, and a decision on South Africa’s charges may not come for years.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine on Hamas and its relationship with Arab countries.