SOUTH AFRICA said it had lodged an urgent request with the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) over Israel’s assault on Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The South African government is asking the ICJ to consider whether Israel has committed a “further imminent breach of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza” following the provisional orders the court handed down last month.

This comes as progress is reportedly being made in securing a ceasefire deal between Hamas and the Israeli government.

In December, South Africa instituted proceedings at the ICJ accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. 

Among its six orders, the ICJ said that Israel must do all it can to prevent the deaths of Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza. 

The case is being supported by an increasing number of global South nations including Colombia and Brazil, and blocs such as the Organisation of Islamic Countries and the Arab League.

Residents of northern Gaza were ordered by the Israelis to flee towards the south after Israel began its retaliation against the Palestinians after the surprise October 7 attack by Hamas, during which around 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.

Since then more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than 70 per cent of them women and children, according to local health officials. 

Vast swathes of the territory have been flattened by Israel’s offensive, about 80 per cent of the population has been displaced and a humanitarian catastrophe has pushed more than a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza toward starvation.

A statement released by the office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said: “The South African government was gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah, as announced by the state of Israel, has already led to and will result in further large-scale killing, harm and destruction.

“This would be in serious and irreparable breach both of the Genocide Convention and of the court’s order of January 26 2024.”

Israel strongly denies committing genocide in Gaza, saying it does all it can to spare civilians and is only targeting Hamas militants. 

As Israel intensified its offensive on Rafah, optimism seemed to be emerging over possible progress towards a six-week ceasefire deal that would allow for vital humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinians and for hostages to be freed.

The deal also reportedly seeks guarantees that the parties would continue negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire.

An unnamed senior Egyptian official said mediators have achieved a “relatively significant” progress in the negotiations.