Israel in the dock as International Court of Justice takes up genocide case

 South Africa and Israel are set to face off at the UN's top court in The Hague, following Pretoria's accusation of Israel of "genocidal acts" in Gaza. South Africa has submitted an 84-page submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), urging judges to order Israel to suspend its military operations in Gaza. Israel has dismissed the accusations as "blood libel" and has angrily retorted, calling the South African case "absurd blood libel." The ICJ, which rules on disputes between states, has limited power to enforce its decisions, and it could theoretically order Israel to stop its invasion, but it is highly unlikely it would be obeyed. South Africa has filed the case against Israel because both countries have signed the UN Genocide Convention, created in 1948 as a response to the Holocaust.