With Israel persevering with to warn that it plans a floor invasion of Rafah, the southernmost metropolis in Gaza, South Africa has requested the International Court of Justice in The Hague to problem new constraints on Israel’s navy offensive to forestall genocide.

In a submitting on Monday, the South African authorities mentioned that it was “gravely concerned” by Israel’s deliberate floor advance into Rafah, the place greater than 1,000,000 Gazans have sought shelter, which it mentioned “has already led to and will result in further large-scale killing, harm and destruction.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who has described Rafah as Hamas’s final stronghold, mentioned on Sunday {that a} floor invasion would transfer ahead there as quickly as Israel accomplished plans for the greater than 1,000,000 individuals sheltering within the metropolis to be allowed to maneuver to security.

In December, South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice, the U.N.’s highest court docket, accusing Israel of genocide and asking the court docket to step in with emergency orders.

In response, the court ordered Israel last month to make sure that its actions wouldn’t result in genocide and to extend humanitarian support to Gaza. But the court docket didn’t order a halt to combating within the Gaza Strip. The means of contemplating whether or not Israel is committing genocide might take the court docket a number of years.

In its request on Monday, South Africa argued {that a} floor invasion of Rafah can be in breach of the court docket’s January orders and that the court docket ought to take into account additional emergency measures, although it didn’t lay out what it believed these needs to be.

The court docket mentioned that it had requested Israel for remark. Under court docket guidelines, the judges must take into account South Africa’s request as a matter of precedence. That might imply scheduling a listening to or issuing a brand new order as early as Monday. The court docket can also be beginning a six-day listening to on one other problem involving Israel on Monday.

Israel’s international ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Tuesday, however Israel has rejected accusations of genocide.

On Monday, Israeli forces freed two hostages held within the metropolis in a nighttime commando operation, which was accompanied by a series of airstrikes. The well being ministry in Gaza mentioned at the least 67 individuals had been killed within the strikes. Overall, the ministry says, greater than 28,000 individuals in Gaza have been killed.

After the rescue mission, Mr. Netanyahu mentioned that “only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our hostages.”

Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting.