South Africa declared its rejection of the Israeli accusations directed at United Nations institutions, particularly the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), reported the Middle East Monitor.

This came in press statements made by Director General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Zane Dangor, in The Hague, following sessions of the International Court of Justice held on Thursday and Friday. It was based on a request submitted by his country to impose “additional measures” to previous measures specified by the court in the case filed against Israel.

The South African official made statements at the press conference, accompanied by his country’s Ambassador to The Hague Vusi Madonsela and the Palestinian Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Relations Ammar Hijazi.

Dangor said that his country rejects the Israeli accusations directed against the international institutions and agencies that monitor their violations in the Gaza Strip, most notably OCHA, adding that the evidence in the genocide case file: “Puts the facts clearly before one’s eyes.”

Dangor stressed that this evidence: “Shows the extent of the destruction in Gaza.” He also expressed South Africa’s rejection of Israel’s claims that UN data regarding the population of Gaza is “not reliable”.

At the same time, Dangor pointed out that the Israeli army prevented the entry of UN officials, journalists and representatives of other international organisations into the Strip.

Earlier on Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded its hearings to consider South Africa’s request to take “additional measures” to previous measures that the court issued in the genocide case brought against Israel following the Israeli army’s operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

On 26 January, the ICJ ordered Tel Aviv to take: “Measures to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”