KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: South Africa’s relentless pursuit of justice at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding a genocidal case against Israel highlights an ongoing international legal plan to deal with Gaza’s humanitarian issue.
David E. Malcomson, South African High Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei, emphasized the critical nature of these legal actions in supporting Palestinian rights and statehood during an interview with Bernama.
“In the context of the Gaza crisis, we must not stop advocating for international involvement, particularly in view of the intensifying ground assault in Rafah.
“We keep returning to the court to ask for extraordinary measures to put pressure on Israel to stop the bloodshed and destruction and to let aid reach the Palestinians who are in great need,” Malcomson said.
“The pressure on Israel will increase the more times we take these matters up before the International Court of Justice and other international forums. We are forming a coalition to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, he said, with the backing of a majority in the UN and nations like Egypt and Malaysia that have joined our case at the ICJ.
Malcomson noted that South Africa’s involvement extends beyond the ICJ to participation in cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ongoing advocacy at the UN.
On May 16, South Africa urged the ICJ to implement additional emergency measures to order Israel to halt its assaults in Rafah—a 64-square-kilometre area densely populated with over 1.4 million Palestinians seeking refuge from the ongoing offensive—and to facilitate unimpeded access to humanitarian aid and assistance to Gaza. This marks the third request for additional measures brought by South Africa since the initial provisional measures granted by the ICJ on January 26, 2024.
Malcomson’s comments underscore the importance of international legal avenues in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to advocating for Palestinian rights through persistent legal and diplomatic efforts.
