TRANSCRIPT
The International Court of Justice will rule on South Africa's request to order a stop to Israel's Rafah attack in Gaza.
The hearing comes after South Africa asked the I-C-J to order a halt to Israel's offensive in Gaza, and for Rafah in particular, saying it was necessary to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people.
The demand for such an emergency measure is part of a larger case brought before the Hague-based court by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.
Ahead of the hearing, Israeli government spokesperson, Avi Hyman says Israel will not be discouraged from pursuing its war on Hamas.
"No power on earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza. We will destroy Hamas. We will return peace and security to the people of Israel and to the people of Gaza. We cannot go on with a genocidal terrorist regime on our southern border. We will destroy Hamas."
Meanwhile, Israeli officials say they have reprimanded the ambassadors of Ireland, Norway and Spain after their governments plan to recognise a Palestinian state.
The three European countries have said they wanted to help secure a halt to Israel's devastating Gaza offensive and revive peace talks that stalled a decade ago.
Mr Hyman says a Palestinian state does not promote peace.
"If Israel has learned anything in recent months, it is that our children deserve a better, safer future - not the resurrection of old, failed policies created by blindsided back-seat drivers abroad. A recognition of a Palestinian state does not promote peace. It perpetuates war. Any kind of so-called solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that compromises Israel's security does not mean peace. There will be zero compromise on our security."
The International Criminal Court's prosecutor is currently seeking arrest warrants on war crimes charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence minister as well as three Hamas leaders.
Karim Khan says he has reasonable grounds to believe they bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But the United States president Joe Biden says the US does not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
"We've made our position clear on the ICC. We don't think the... we don't recognise their jurisdiction, in ICC the way it's being exercised and it is that simple. We don't think there's an equivalence between what Israel did and what Hamas did."
Meanwhile, Health officials and local media say Israeli forces killed at least 60 Palestinians in aerial and ground bombardments across the Gaza strip, and battled in close combat with Hamas-led militants in areas of the southern city of Rafah.
According to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital's Dr Khalil Al-Degran, 12 Palestinians have been killed after Israeli forces shelled a store belonging to the welfare ministry east of Deir Al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip.
"A while ago victims of massacre arrived to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, as part of the massacres in this genocide by the occupation army twelve were killed during this massacre, most of them were women from Deir Al-Balah . These were targeted by army occupation shelling from tanks. Most of the bodies were burnt, more than 30 wounded arrived at this hospital. This hospital in few hours will not be functioning because the lack of fuel for the generator. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is the only one hospital that is functioning in the central of Gaza."
The UN says more than 900,000 Palestinians have been displaced by fighting in the past few weeks alone, lacking shelter, food, water and other essentials.
Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas' October 7 attack in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting about 250.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed.
