The United Nations' top court has begun a hearing into claims Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza.
South Africa is making the case at the International Court of Justice. Israel strongly denies the allegations that it has deliberately deprived people in the enclave of food, medicine and water in its war against Hamas.
The case will be heard in a public forum on Thursday and Friday in the Hague.
Colombia and Brazil have expressed their support of South Africa, with over 23,000 people in Gaza killed since October 7th last year.
Lawyer with the South African team, Adila Hassim, says Israel's actions in Gaza are unprecedented.
"For the past 96 days, Israel has subjected Gaza to what has been described as one of the heaviest conventional bombing campaigns in the history of modern warfare."
Israel has condemned the charges, describing them as a "contemptuous" waste of the court.
WATCH LIVE: South Africa opens the oral argument on its request for the indication of provisional measures in the case #SouthAfrica v. #Israel before the #ICJ: https://t.co/zSouWkztiD
— CIJ_ICJ (@CIJ_ICJ) January 11, 2024
