South Africa defies pressure, vows to pursue Israel genocide case

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said Pretoria would continue to press ahead with its genocide case against Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and would submit more evidence to the World Court next month.

South Africa filed the case in December alleging that Israel’s attacks in Gaza, which indiscriminately target schools, refugee camps, hospitals, soup kitchens, aid workers and safe zones, breached the 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention.

“We are headstrong,” Ramaphosa told journalists when asked about the case. “We are determined to go ahead with our case.”

The country is due to file facts and evidence to the U.N. court next month to back up its case.

“Preparations are underway to present what they call the memorial, a huge tome of hundreds and hundreds of pages,” the president said.

“We continue arguing that the genocide must stop and there must be a cease-fire, and similarly, there must be a return of the hostages.”

South Africa’s case has been joined by several countries, including Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Spain and Türkiye.

Israel’s relentless attacks killed at least 41,118 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Recently, reports claimed that Israeli diplomats are being instructed to lobby members of the U.S. Congress to pressure South Africa into dropping the genocide case