Israel denies genocide in Gaza, calls civilian casualties 'tragic'

livemint.com:

request by South Africa for interim orders to prevent starvation in Gaza as part of a case accusing Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention with its military offensive against Hamas. In a written response published Monday by the International Court of Justice, Israel said that claims by South Africa in its request filed earlier this month are “wholly unfounded in fact and law, morally repugnant, and represent an abuse both of the Genocide Convention and of the Court itself." Israel's response was published on the day that the U.N.

food agency said that “famine is imminent" in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger, and that a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation. ALSO READ: Gaza war: Israeli offensive has killed at least 31,726 people in Palestine so far; 73,792 injured since October 7 The food agency's statement came less than two weeks after South Africa urged the world court "to do what is within its power to save Palestinians in Gaza from genocidal starvation." Israel fervently denies that its military campaign in Gaza amounts to a breach of the Genocide Convention.

It acknowledged in its written response to South Africa's request that there are “also tragic and agonizing civilian casualties in this war. These realities are the painful result of intensive armed hostilities that Israel did not start and did not want." Israel also said in its response that it is “doing a great deal to alleviate such suffering in these very challenging circumstances." No date has been set for judges to rule on the South African request.