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The Hague- Expected to be released international justice Court in The Hague Today, Friday, is her expected decision regarding the lawsuit she filed South Africa Against Israel on charges of committing genocide against residents Gaza strip.
In continuation of the complaint procedures filed by more than 600 lawyers from around the world on November 9, and to strengthen the investigation procedures carried out by International Criminal CourtYesterday, the defense team presented evidence of the crimes of this genocide.
During the meeting, which took place in the Public Prosecutor's Office Karim Ahmed Khan And its victims section, more than 1,800 papers and a large number of references were examined, including 350 papers dedicated to targeting hospitals and 700 pieces of evidence related to the families of the victims.
Documented evidence
This evidence consisted of 15 axes, including the health sector, infrastructure, targeting civilians, cutting off electricity and water, and the policy of starvation, arming, and forced displacement.
Each section contains documented and illustrated facts, links from the Internet, and recordings issued by experts affiliated withTo the United Nations It was approved by international institutions and courts, as well as other evidence sent via email to the court.
Lawyer Abdel Majeed Marari, an international law expert and head of the Middle East and Africa Department at AFDI International, said that the ICC did not have all the evidence related to this file, especially with regard to targeting cemeteries and bakeries in the Gaza Strip.
He explained – to Al Jazeera Net – that the deliberate targeting of bakeries represents conclusive evidence that the occupation army committed the crime of genocide because it “falls within the measures mentioned in Article Two of the Geneva Convention on Genocide, which stipulates the infliction of total or partial harm.”
After presenting this evidence, the Public Prosecutor’s team will conduct an extensive investigation and listen to a number of testimonies from the victims’ families or witnesses.
The legal delegation also provided the numbers of a number of important figures to communicate with directly, such as doctors and hospital directors, as their statements will give a great boost and credibility to the case, according to Marari.
Until now, it is not possible to determine the time period required to complete the investigation, especially since the Public Prosecutor is still prohibited from entering the Gaza Strip or accessing the Rafah crossing Or Arish.
The lawyer stressed the necessity of “issuing an arrest warrant against war criminals and anyone proven to be involved in genocide crimes, which will mean a message of reassurance that brings hope to the people of Gaza andPalestine in general”.
Clear progress
Led by French lawyer Gilles Duvier, the defense team noted that the ICC had made clear progress in the case through two separate offices and different procedures that examined the way files were presented and how evidence was found and located on the Internet.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Dover confirmed that there is no file related to the Palestinian issue that has reached this level of progress and at this speed in the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
For his part, Marari described the defense team's meeting with the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Victims' Office as fruitful and positive, pointing out that both parties praised the work accomplished by the lawyers.
He added, “We discovered an investigation team that was convinced of the case, made progress in the procedures, and traveled to a number of countries neighboring Palestine to meet with witnesses and figures related to the file.”
It is noteworthy that the Victims Section of the International Criminal Court works independently of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and its role is focused on collecting information, listening to victims, receiving their complaints and testimonies, then arranging and compiling them to submit a reliable report to the office.
His role also includes facilitating listening and transportation procedures to meet victims who suffer from shock, fear, and lack of psychological stability, especially since most of them do not have identification documents in light of the ongoing conflict, in addition to allocating specific training for the department’s employees to understand the nature of the questions that can be asked.
This section makes every effort to provide confidentiality and adequate security guarantees to encourage victims to contact the International Court because they are being threatened, as stipulated in internal law and the Rome Statute.
Yesterday, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor joined the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court to monitor developments in the progress of the case, which means that pressure on the Prosecutor comes from all parties that support the right of the Palestinian people.
Integration
The defense team believes that South Africa's file before international justice and their file at the International Criminal Court “are complementary” and any decision issued today “will be a basis and a legal basis that encourages the Public Prosecutor to move forward with the investigation and issue bold decisions, such as arrest warrants.”
Dover indicated that the next stage will begin today after the International Justice Department in The Hague announces its decision, and it is a stage related to countries only, where the South African legal team will be present.
Although the role of this court is not to condemn Israel, but rather to provide an explanation of the concept Genocide Determining whether or not there was genocide in the Gaza Strip, and answering whether the elements and evidence are sufficient, will, however, be important at the legal level, according to the defense lawyer.
The French lawyer explained, “This court has no right to say otherwise in the context of a state of emergency, as the petition was submitted only one month ago. Therefore, urgent measures will be taken to limit or prohibit the bombing, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the operation of hospitals.”
He continued, “We expect the court's announcement to be positive, but we will monitor how things proceed today and take the time to read the decision, which will not be limited to revealing the outcome of the meeting sessions only, but also explaining the motives and taking a position on the idea of terrorism and Israel's claims of defending itself.”
The Attorney General was subjected to a barrage of criticism due to his delay in dealing with the Gaza issue – compared to the speed of the procedures that were taken in the war file in UkraineWhich prompted the defense team to threaten to use the impeachment procedure against him, before deciding to calm the situation after ensuring that the course of the investigation was moving in the right direction.
Marari commented on this by saying, “We do not deny that the path to international justice is very long and we are well aware of the double standards imposed, even though the Palestine file is characterized by a much greater political burden than the Ukraine file. But at the same time, our relationship with the International Court cannot be severed or its bankruptcy declared unless it She has to admit it.”
