“We are allowing this to happen again, right before our eyes, on our TV screens,” Pandor said.
The court's ruling is binding on Israel, and the country could face U.N. sanctions if it is found to be breaching its orders, although any sanctions may be vetoed by close ally the United States.
Netanyahu has said that Israel “will continue to do what is necessary to defend our country and defend our people.” Israel says the offensive is aimed at destroying Hamas after its Oct. 7 attacks on Israel that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Israel says it has abided by international law and is doing its best to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. It says it has killed more than 9,000 militants and accuses Hamas of embedding in civilian areas, making it difficult to avoid civilian casualties.
South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, has long compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank to its own history under the apartheid regime of white minority rule, which restricted most Black people to “homelands” before ending in 1994.
Pandor also said South Africa was eager to pursue the case it has lodged with the separate International Criminal Court, an indication the country will continue its legal pressure on Israel. In the ICC case, South Africa accuses Netanyahu of war crimes and asks the court to order his arrest.
The ICJ and ICC are both based in The Hague but deal with different cases. The ICJ is a U.N. court that decides disputes between countries. The ICC prosecutes individuals.
A South African delegation met with the ICC court president and prosecutor while in The Hague last week for the ICJ ruling, Pandor said, and stressed “our concern at the slow pace of action on matters that we referred to them as urgent matters.”
South Africa filed its case against Netanyahu at the ICC in November. The ICC is the same court that issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin last year over alleged war crimes relating to the removal of children from Ukraine.
“The (ICC) prosecutor assured us the matter is in hand and being looked at by his office,” Pandor said of South Africa's allegations against Netanyahu. “What I felt he didn’t answer me sufficiently on was, I asked him why he was able to issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Putin while he is unable to do so for the Prime Minister of Israel. He couldn't answer and didn’t answer that question."
Israel, like Russia, is not a signatory to the treaty that created the ICC and does not recognize the court's authority.
Nine people have been injured after a suspected corrosive substance was thrown at a woman and two young children in south London.
The Metropolitan police were called to Lessar Avenue, Clapham at about 7.25pm on Wednesday, Jan. 31, when the woman and two children were injured by a suspected corrosive substance.
A further six people – three members of the public and three police officers – were injured after coming to their aid. Five of those involved were taken to hospital.
Det Supt Alexander Castle said the officers’ injuries were minor, adding: "While tests are ongoing to determine what the substance is, at this stage we believe it to be a corrosive substance.
"A man was seen fleeing the scene. We are drawing on resources from across the Met to apprehend this individual and work is ongoing to determine what has led to this awful incident."
No arrest has been made and police said they would give an update on the conditions of those injured as soon as possible.
A local politician said the woman and children were in a car when they were assaulted.
Marina Ahmad, Labour’s London Assembly member for Lambeth and Southwark, posted on X: "There has been a traffic collision with a man assaulting occupants in a car and throwing acid. Victims include children."
Firefighters used specialist equipment to detect what is believed to be the corrosive substance used in the initial attack, a London fire brigade spokesperson said.
They added: "Firefighters were called to a chemical incident on Lessar Avenue in Clapham this evening.
"Working alongside emergency service partners, crews provided immediate emergency care to a woman and two children.
"Five further people were also treated at the scene. They were all taken to hospital by London ambulance service crews. Crews also used specialist equipment to detect a corrosive substance that is believed to have been used in the incident.
"The brigade was called at 7.35pm and the incident was over for firefighters by 9.21pm. Two fire engines from Clapham and Battersea fire stations attended the scene."
A London ambulance service spokesperson said: "We were called today (31 January) at 7.29pm to reports of an incident on Clapham Common South Side, SW4.
"We sent a number of resources to the scene, including two incident response officers, three ambulance crews and members of our hazardous area response team.
“We treated nine people, five of whom were taken to a major trauma centre. Three patients were taken to a local hospital and the other was discharged at the scene.”
OneForumNews1
0 Comments