Who supports and opposes the genocide claims against Israel?
Conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories is one of the most divisive issues in geopolitics. And, as such, South Africa’s case at the ICJ accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinians has divided world governments.
Supporting South Africa
The Arab world has, rhetorically at least, staunchly supported people in Gaza since Israel launched its war in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. So it follows that among those backing South Africa is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The 56 members of the OIC cover a population of almost 2 billion people, spanning North and West Africa to the Middle East and Central Asia; from Morocco and Nigeria to Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
Several members of this group — including NATO member Turkey — have independently supported the case, as have Bolivia and Venezuela.
Supporting Israel
Of those rejecting the case and supporting Israel, the United States has been the loudest voice, maintaining its stance as Israel’s biggest ally and main financial backer. It says the allegation of genocide is “unfounded.”
Germany, which has what it calls a “special” relationship with Israel, has also said it believes the allegations are “false,” and Austria has issued similar dismissals.
Somewhere in between
Other Western countries and bodies have declined to pick sides.
The United Kingdom has remained silent on its views. And there has been a latent tension within the European Union, of which Germany is the biggest economy, with its officials saying they will not comment. However other governments, such as Belgium and Spain, have been far more critical of Israel's actions, some of them individually supporting the ICJ case.
Right-wing ministers’ comments 'damaging' Israel as it faces ICJ hearing, legal expert says
TEL AVIV — Comments made by right-wing ministers in Israel's government have been “damaging” to the country, a prominent international law expert said as Israel faced accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
Professor Amichai Cohen said he thought it was possible that the ICJ would “accept the position of South Africa” in the initial stages of proceedings because “the only thing that South Africa has to prove is the plausibility of the claim.”
South Africa, in an 84-page legal filing submitted to the court, accused Israel of killing, injuring and displacing Palestinian civilians, and denying them food, water and other essentials after Oct. 7, when Hamas launched mutlipronged attacks on the country.
The filing says Israel, which has vowed to fight back at the hearings, has done this in a way that’s “intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group.”
Cohen, an international law expert with the Israel Democracy Institute and the Ono Academic College, said he did not believe his country’s actions meet “what the court has said is the threshold for genocide, even if the claims are correct.”
But he said he thought recent comments from right-wing Israeli ministers could constitute an “incitement to genocide,” and the country’s leaders should be doing more to “suppress these statements.”
“If the claim is, Israel is not doing enough to suppress incitement, then I agree, but this doesn’t go to show a plan of the state,” he said. “It only goes to show there are very extreme right-wingers in Israel that should be held accountable.”
Biden adviser hopeful for 'diplomatic solution' to Lebanon crisis
White House senior adviser Amos Hochstein met Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister and other government officials today and said he firmly believes “that the people of Lebanon do not want to see an escalation of the current crisis to a further conflict.”
Hochstein met Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, as Israel traded cross-border fire with the powerful Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes.
“We need to find a diplomatic solution that will allow for the Lebanese people to return to their homes in south Lebanon and to go back to their normal lives, as the people of Israel need to be able to return to their homes in their north, to be able to live with security,” Hochstein told reporters.
“I have had good discussions here with the government, and I am hopeful that we can continue to work this effort to arrive together, all of us on both sides of the border, with a solution that will allow for all people in Lebanon and Israel to live with guaranteed security and focus on a better future,” he added.
Delegates watch ICJ case at the Palestinian mission in Pretoria
Ambassadors from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Palestinian territories gathered to watch the South African government’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague today.
They followed the proceedings today at the headquarters of the Palestinian mission in Pretoria, South Africa.
U.S. claims cautious success as Blinken wraps Middle East tour
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up his seven-day tour of the Middle East, with a senior administration official claiming modest but potentially significant progress on getting regional support for a plan for Gaza’s postwar future.
Speaking to journalists at an airport in Cairo ahead of his flight back to Washington, Blinken said the countries he had visited were increasingly willing to offer some form of rehabilitation for Gaza in exchange for an independent Palestinian state.
“None of this will happen overnight. But there is a greater willingness now of countries to make the hard decisions and do what’s necessary to advance on that track,” he said. “That path is clearly there. It’s possible and we can see it.”
In seven days, Blinken visited nine countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel itself, plus the occupied West Bank.
The U.S. wanted to walk into the Israeli meeting with a unique offer in its back pocket: something approaching agreement among these neighboring states to offer rehabilitation and maybe security for Gaza — in return for a concrete path to a two-state solution, a senior administration official told reporters, requesting anonymity to discuss details of the tour candidly.
Cousin of hostage says he believes genocide case could help Israel on global stage
TEL AVIV — Israel is facing accusations of genocide at the U.N.'s top court, but the cousin of a woman held hostage by Hamas said he hopes the proceedings will ultimately help “show the world” the “nightmare” faced by those with relatives still in captivity.
“The whole world should understand that this is a crime against humanity that Hamas has committed,” said Gil Dickmann, whose cousin, Carmel Gat, 39, was taken hostage during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. And he said he hoped Israel would demonstrate that during the case, which it has chosen to fight.
"In a way it’s great to see that the Israeli government chooses this way of showing the world the war and the reality that we’re facing," he said.
Dickmann, 31, said he wanted the fighting and bloodshed in Gaza to end. But he said he would not welcome a cease-fire until all of the 136 people believed to remain captive are returned.
“I don’t think any of us wanted to see this happening in Gaza,” Dickmann said. “I don’t want more blood or revenge.” But he said he believed the mounting death toll and devastation in Gaza are “consequences of a terror organization that commits war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Iran confirms seizure of oil tanker involved in U.S. dispute
Iran seized a tanker with Iraqi crude oil destined for Turkey today in what appeared to be a retaliation for the seizure last year of the same vessel by the United States, Iranian media reported.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas, which last year was confiscated by the U.S. for carrying Iranian oil, was boarded by armed intruders as it sailed close to the Omani city of Sohar, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey, and its AIS tracking system was turned off as it headed in the direction of the Iranian port of Bandar-e-Jask.
Following the seizure of the vessel last year, Iran warned the U.S. that "it will not go unanswered."
"The Navy of Iran’s Army has announced the seizure of an American oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman with a judicial order," Iranian state media cited a statement by the Army as saying.
It was unclear why Iranian media described the ship as an American vessel.
In 2023 the St Nikolas was seized in a sanctions enforcement operation when it sailed under a different name, Suez Rajan.
Palestinian rights group applauds South Africa for getting 'wheels of justice' turning
RAMALLAH, West Bank — A Palestinian rights group is applauding South Africa for opening its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, saying the whole world will suffer if the court fails to act because “the credibility of the system is at stake.”
“This triggers the system of international justice, the wheels of justice to turn,” said Wesam Ahmad, director of the Center for Applied International Law at Al-Haq, an organization based in the occupied West Bank. “We can’t expect these wheels of justice to turn on their own. There needs to be political action to move them forward.”
In an interview this morning ahead of the first day of proceedings, Ahmad told NBC News that calls by some Israeli ministers to permanently relocate Palestinians out of Gaza were an important component of the case. Referencing the Fourth Geneva Convention, he said international law makes it illegal “to transfer civilian population in occupied territory out of occupied territory.”
Israel and the United States say South Africa’s accusations of genocide are baseless.
ISIS-affiliated 'terrorists' arrested in Jerusalem after planning attacks, Israel says
Jerusalem police and Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet said today they had "foiled terrorist attacks" in East Jerusalem planned by "two terrorists" who supported ISIS.
The agencies said the "terrorists" planned to prepare explosive charges and explosive devices aimed at the security forces, but they were arrested before their plans could be realized.
NBC News could not verify the claim or the identities of the arrested people.
Israel denies striking ambulance as Palestinian aid group mourns crew killed in central Gaza
The Palestine Red Crescent Society is mourning four of its members killed in what it said was a strike by Israel on one of its ambulances, but Israel denied carrying out any strikes in the area at the time of the incident.
The PRCS said yesterday that four members of its ambulance team died as a result of a strike in the Deir al-Balah area in central Gaza after they were "intentionally targeted" by Israel inside an ambulance marked with the Red Crescent emblem. The organization said two other individuals who were in the ambulance at the time sustained injuries and later died.
NBC News could not independently verify the details of the incident.
The PRCS has been sharing names and photos of the crew members killed, talking about their service and family members left behind, as pictures emerged of their funerals being held in Gaza today.
In response to the incident, the Israeli military told NBC News that a review was conducted based on the details provided to the IDF and it showed that no strike was carried out in the described area.
The head of the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have issued statements on social media denouncing the strike.