WAs Israel's army intensifies its deployment in the Gaza Strip, South Africa has now accused the Jewish state of genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague and demanded a cessation of fighting. In the lawsuit filed on Friday, South Africa is asking the court for an injunction ordering Israel to immediately suspend military operations in the densely populated coastal area. Israel rejected the accusation of genocide against the Palestinian people as completely baseless and described South Africa's request as a “despicable” exploitation of the world court, according to media reports.
Israel rejects genocide accusations
“South Africa’s lawsuit has no basis in fact or in law,” an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday evening. “South Africa works with a terrorist organization (Hamas) that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel.” Hamas is solely responsible for the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel's army continues to hunt Hamas leadership
Meanwhile, Hamas military leader Jihia Sinwar is believed to be hiding in underground tunnels in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli army. Israel's troops are currently concentrating their ground offensive on this city. It is considered a Hamas stronghold. In the previously contested north of the coastal area sealed off by Israel, Israeli troops found and destroyed one of Sinwar's former hideouts in recent weeks, as the Israeli army has only now announced.
It was said on Friday evening that the Israeli soldiers came across a tunnel entrance in the basement of a house. This led to underground passages 20 meters deep and 218 meters long. According to media reports, Sinwar is said to have fled to the south of Gaza shortly after the war began.
Below the Gaza Strip there is a whole network of tunnels stretching for many kilometers in which, according to Israel, a number of Hamas terrorists are hiding and are also holding Israeli hostages there. To withstand Israel's bombs from the air, some tunnels extend dozens of meters underground. The terrorists also use the tunnels to appear out of nowhere and attack from behind. Many of the tunnels are booby-trapped to kill Israeli soldiers who enter them.
South Africa: Israel is exterminating the Palestinians
The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, which terrorists from Hamas and other groups carried out in Israel on October 7th. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. The total number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war rose to 21,507, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza. The number cannot currently be independently verified.
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