RAMALLAH: The Gaza health ministry reported on Wednesday that more than 22,313 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 57,296 injured in the ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since October 7. During the past 24 hours alone, 128 Palestinians were killed, and 261 others were injured, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
Meanwhile, tension escalated further as Israeli settlers, protected by Israeli police, intruded into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, engaging in Talmudic rituals nearby, Wafa news agency reported. Far-right Israeli settlers have frequently stormed the sacred site in occupied East Jerusalem.
South Africa Prepares for ICJ Proceedings Against Israeli Brutalities
In response to these developments, South Africa is actively preparing for International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings against Israel, scheduled for January 11 and 12, according to Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Notably, South Africa’s legal team includes John Dugard, a prominent South African professor of international law and former UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories.
Malaysia has endorsed South Africa’s application to the ICJ, urging Israel to comply with international law and cease its alleged atrocities against Palestinians. The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying, “As a fellow party to the Genocide Convention, Malaysia calls on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law and immediately end its atrocities against Palestinians.”
