Israel tells world court its actions in Gaza are self-defence

SA’s demands for an immediate halt of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza would render Israel defenceless, Israel says

Legal adviser to Israel's foreign ministry Tal Becker and British jurist Malcolm Shaw sit inside the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as judges hear a request for emergency measures to order Israel to stop its military actions in Gaza, in The Hague, Netherlands on January 12 2024.
Legal adviser to Israel's foreign ministry Tal Becker and British jurist Malcolm Shaw sit inside the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as judges hear a request for emergency measures to order Israel to stop its military actions in Gaza, in The Hague, Netherlands on January 12 2024. (THILO SCHMUELGEN/Reuters)

The Hague -Israel’s military actions in Gaza are acts of self-defence against Hamas and “other terrorist organisations”, the legal adviser for Israel’s foreign ministry said at the opening of the second day of hearings at the International Court of Justice on Friday.

The adviser, Tal Becker, said SA on Thursday brought “a grossly distorted story” as it accused Israel of genocide in Gaza in the first day of the hearings of the case it brought to the UN’s top court.

“If there were acts of genocide, they have been perpetrated against Israel,” Becker said.

SA’s demands for an immediate halt of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza would render Israel defenceless, he said.

"The applicant seeks to thwart Israel’s inherent right to defend itself... and render Israel defenceless."

Reuters