South African authorities presented on Tuesday “urgent request” before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to consider whether “use your powers” to avoid “imminent violation of Palestinian rights” due to Israeli plans for a military offensive on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

A statement from the South African president, published on his website, said the government had asked the court to “consider whether Israel has announced a decision to extend its military operations in Rafah, which last refuge for survivors in Gaza, requires the court to use its powers to prevent further imminent violations of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza.”

Thus, he noted that the petition was submitted on Monday due to “serious concerns” of Pretoria, since “the unprecedented military offensive on Rafah declared by the State of Israel has caused and will continue to cause more death, damage and destruction.”

“This would be a serious and irreparable violation of the Genocide Convention and the court order of January 26,” they said.

“South Africa hopes that this matter will be addressed with the necessary urgency given the daily death toll in the Gaza Strip,” he stressed, while Israeli authorities have not yet commented on South Africa’s decision, which has already led the country to the International Court of Justice accusing Israeli authorities of acts of genocide as part of the offensive on the Gaza Stripprovoked by the attacks carried out on October 7 by the terrorist group Hamas.

In its January decision, the International Court of Justice called on the Israeli authorities to take “all possible measures” to protect the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip from abuses under the Genocide Convention, and although it did not specifically mention a ceasefire in the enclave, various groups emphasized that the order implicitly included the need to stop offensives.

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The Israeli army launched an offensive into Gaza following the aforementioned Hamas attacks, which left 1,200 people dead and 240 injured. Since then, Palestinian authorities have reported the deaths of more than 28,300 dead, of which 384 Palestinians died in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem by Israeli security forces and settlers.

(according to information from Europe Press)