RAMALLAH, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Saturday urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to expedite proceedings on a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of "genocidal" acts in the Gaza Strip.
The case claims "alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the 'Genocide Convention') in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip," according to an ICJ press release.
Noting that South Africa and Palestine are signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Palestinian ministry said "what South Africa presented, relying on Article 9 of the convention, and Israel's violation of Articles 2 and 3, completely aligns with the duties of nations to prevent the commission of this crime."
The ministry called on the ICJ to swiftly respond to South Africa's request to prevent the "genocidal" acts by issuing a decision to halt Israeli aggression with a ceasefire in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas called on more countries to submit similar requests to international courts against Israel as it has threatened global peace and security.
The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the UN Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. ■
