Irish lawyer: Israel guilty of genocide in Palestine
Barrister Blinne tells International Court of Justice ‘swathes of Gaza wiped off map’
First genocide in history where victims broadcast their own destruction BLINNE NI GHRALAIGH
THE HAGUE YESTERDAY
A TOP Irish barrister accused Israel of genocide yesterday and said: “Huge swathes of Gaza are being wiped from the map.”
Speaking at the International Court of Justice, Blinne Ni Ghralaigh added it was the first time in history “victims are broadcasting their own destruction... in the desperate, so far vain, hope the world might do something”.
She made her remarks on behalf of South Africa as it formally accused Israel and urged the UN’S top court to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations.
The Middle Eastern state denies the allegations but in a sign of how seriously they regard the case in the Hague it is engaging with the court to defend its international reputation.
Israel often boycotts international tribunals or UN investigations, saying they are unfair and biased.
During opening arguments Ms Ni Ghralaigh said the number of orphans caused by Israel’s assault on Gaza has led to the need for a
“terrible, new acronym
WCNSF – wounded child, no surviving family”. She added: “As you have heard but it bears repeating, according to the World Food Programme, four out of five people in the world in famine or a catastrophic type of hunger, are in Gaza now.
“On the basis of the current figures, on average, 247 Palestinians are being killed and are at risk of being killed each day – many of them literally blown to pieces. They include 48 mothers each day, two every hour and over 117 children each day, leading Unicef to call Israel’s actions a war on children.”
Although the court’s findings are considered binding, it was unclear whether Israel would heed any order to halt the fighting. If it does not, it could face UN sanctions, although those may be blocked by a US veto. Israel says it is battling an enemy that carried out the deadliest attack on its territory since its creation in 1948.
Israeli leaders insist they are following international law and doing their utmost to avoid harm to civilians.
They blame Hamas for the high death toll, saying its enemy operates in residential areas.
In a post on X after the hearing, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat called South Africa’s presentation “one of the greatest shows of hypocrisy” and referred to the legal team as “Hamas’s representatives in court”.
He said South African lawyers distorted the reality in Gaza through a series of “baseless and false claims” but did not elaborate.
Ahead of proceedings, hundreds of pro-israeli protesters marched close to the courthouse with banners saying “Bring them home”, referring to hostages still being held by Hamas since the October 7 attacks.
At a separate demonstration nearby, pro-palestinian protesters waved flags calling for an end to “Israeli apartheid” and the adoption of a ceasefire.
South Africa sought to broaden the case beyond the Israelhamas war.
South African justice minister Ronald Lamola said: “The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on October 7, 2023.
“The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video statement on Wednesday night defending his country’s actions and insisting they have nothing to do with genocide.
“Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law.”
A decision on South Africa’s request for so-called “provisional measures” will probably take weeks.
The case is likely to last years.