Nearly 50 South African lawyers are preparing a separate lawsuit against the US and UK governments on the grounds that they are complicit in Israeli forces’ war crimes in Palestine.
South Africa had filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide in Gaza.
During opening statements at the International Court of Justice, South African lawyers said the latest Gaza war is part of decades of Israeli oppression of Palestinians.
The court “has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention” that amounts to “a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African lawyer Adila Hassim told the judges and audience in a packed room of the Peace Palace in The Hague.
Hamas officials had expressed hope the court would rule favourably in the case launched by South Africa.
“We welcome the convening of the [case] on the accusation of ethnic cleansing and genocide,” Basem Naim said. “We are looking forward to seeing a decision by the court that would achieve justice for the [Palestinian] victims, end the aggression on Gaza, and hold the war criminals accountable.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the case and vowed to continue fighting Hamas, the militant group whose fighters stormed through Israeli communities on October 7 and killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians.
“This is an upside-down world — the state of Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting genocide,” he said in a video statement. “The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens.”
However, Anadolu Agency reports that the initiative, led by South African lawyer Wikus Van Rensburg, aims to prosecute those who are complicit in the crime in civilian courts in collaboration with lawyers from the US and UK, with whom he is already in contact.
Rensburg, who has been writing letters to various countries and the ICJ for the last few weeks demanding that Israel and its supporters be prosecuted, has begun preparations to file a lawsuit against the two Western countries, with the support of his colleagues.
“The United States must now be held accountable for the crimes it committed,” Rensburg told Anadolu in an interview, detailing the process by which Washington and London will be tried as complicit in Tel Aviv’s war crimes against the people of Gaza.
Rensburg, when he told the people around him about filing a lawsuit, asserted that he received a lot of support. “Many lawyers decided to join us in the lawsuit. Many of those who have joined are Muslims, but I am not. They feel obligated to assist this cause, but I believe that what is happening is incorrect.”
He explained that what happened in Iraq is an example of this, noting that no one held the US accountable for the crimes it committed in the Middle Eastern country as the issue was not given the necessary importance.
People believe what is happening in Palestine is an ideal scenario for the legal process to be carried out, the South African lawyer said, adding that “the US is busy spending more money and more resources to (allow Israel) commit the crime.”
“No one says stop, enough is enough,” he remarked.
According to the report, Rensburg said the genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel at the ICJ will serve as a guide for their case against the US and UK, and that they will begin the process based on the outcome of the case and the steps to be taken by the United Nations.
If the ICJ trial against Israel is concluded in favor of South Africa, Rensburg believed that the US may face sanctions even if it does not accept the verdict.
The ICJ ruling will also strengthen a case against the Joe Biden administration, he added.
Rensburg said he and his colleagues in South Africa are making preparations by contacting law firms in the US and UK.
Rensburg said “The US must now be held responsible for the crimes it has committed. It must accept its responsibilities.”
