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US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Wednesday that the United States does not consider any actions in Gaza to constitute genocide, commenting on South Africa starting judicial proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice related to genocide due to its war on the Gaza Strip.
Miller said in a regular press conference, “These are allegations that must be carefully verified… We do not see any acts that constitute genocide… This is what the State Department has determined.”
The White House also considered that the lawsuit filed by South Africa before the International Court of Justice, in which it accused Israel of committing “genocide” against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, was “baseless” and “militarily harmful.”
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “This lawsuit is not based on any facts.”
These statements come in response to South Africa’s request on Tuesday that the International Court of Justice issue an urgent order declaring that Israel is violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
The court said that it would hold public hearings on January 11 and 12 at the request of South Africa, while Israel said that it would defend itself against these accusations.
The ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza led to the killing of more than 22,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and the destruction of a large part of the Strip and caused a humanitarian catastrophe for its population of 2.3 million people.
The International Court of Justice was established after World War II, and it is the highest judicial body of the United Nations that adjudicates disputes between countries. Although the court’s decisions are legally binding, it does not have much authority to put them into practice.
